Finding What was More Than Met the Eye
by ElMexicanoAmericano
Summary: Part two of More than Meets the Eye, Natsu and company have won and now set their eyes onto the truest evil: Zeref. Can they win and remember their second goal: Personal Freedom? Or will Fairy Tail be able to stop them? And what else is there that didn't meet the eye? Read and find out!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 33: Reunion

 **A/N: Hello there people! There was another voter so now we are half way there! Five more of anything you guys can do to show me some love and you'll get a two chapter day! Keep it up! Note this, this story does take place in the manga timeframe, so ahead of the anime, meaning if you don't read it there will be spoilers, but you have been warned. Enjoy the chapter!**

 *** EDIT: Hey guys! I decided to change a few things. Firstly I decided to split up the story into two so that way its way easier to read, because before it felt way too long and like the two halves are very different from each other in tone so I decided to split them. Also I got rid of the epilogues for now, unless people want them back! So for now ignore anything that says epilgoue until I get more time to go back and edit the story. I am working now and getting ready to study abroad this upcoming year so please be patient! Thank you for your support! I LOVE ALL OF YOU!**

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Same Day (Lucy POV)

"OH MY GODS! YOU FUCKERS! WHAT THE FUCK! WHY ARE YOU WATCHING US?!" I heard Natsu yell from where the lacrima is and I immediately yelp and roll off the mattress with the covers on me to cover myself up. I groan and can feel my face heating up from the embarrassment, 'Why? Why did this have to happen today? Why now?'

I hear Natsu mumbling to himself as I got up and look at him, asking, "Is the lacrima off?"

He looks over to me and gives his signature grin as he walks over to me and whispers in my ear, "Yup, so now where were we?" He begins trailing kisses down my neck, but I'm no longer in the mood, seeing as this was already round three of the morning.

"Natsu stop, I'm not in the mood anymore. Come on we have to get going or we'll be really late. And we'll miss the special train that has the anti-motion sickness carts. Get dressed." I say as I push him off me and get up to walk over to our bags with the clothes.

He groans, but follows me to the bags where I throw him his clothes for the day, the now usual black pants, fire red shirt, and perhaps the most important piece, his scarf that Igneel made for him. I look at the scarf and remember the whole Tartarus ordeal, how Igneel revealed himself to be inside of Natsu the entire time we thought he was gone. I smiled at the memory and how Igneel had been able to stick around now and had been seeing Natsu quite frequently, until the incident of course. When that happened Igneel stayed away until the time was right for fear that being seen would lead the people hunting Natsu right to him. But when he heard that Natsu had begun to earn a new moniker and had a female partner he found us again. I remember that day like it was yesterday, even though it happened a year and a half ago.

 _FLASHBACK_

 _We walk back to our mountain hideout and laugh about how easy the job was, those lame ass excuses for dark mages didn't even know what hit them. "Hahaha and Luce when you kicked their leader in the face after he was acting all tough, his face was priceless! He was all 'No wait! Please not the face!' Hahahaha, man that was fun!" He said as we neared our hideout, but as we did he suddenly stiffened and sniffed the air before looking at me with a smile on his face, "We're going to have company, and it's a friend for once."_

 _I looked at him questioningly before I heard a roar that I had not heard in a while, and I knew who was coming. "He found us? How long has it been since you last saw him Natsu?" I asked him._

" _Not since a month before the incident. So almost four years now. I may be a bit angry, so you might wanna step back a bit." He said._

 _I shook my head, instead linking our arms together and said, "He probably had a good reason for not seeing you, so there's no need to be upset. Besides when you tell him we got married, he might flip; so you may want to be careful."_

 _Natsu looked at me, and seeing that I wasn't going to be backing down, he laughed and said, "Ok Luce. But you can tell him we're married, he might actually kill me for not waiting for him. But you, you he likes so he won't kill you." I deadpan at his logic and smack him upside the head._

 _I was about to scold him for not being manly but was interrupted by Igneel coming down right in front of us and putting his snout right in front us. He sniffed us and questioned, "Natsu, Luce. Why are you two together? Here instead of at Fairy Tail? AND NATSU! Why do you go by a new moniker now? What was it… Oh yeah HELL'S JUDGE! What is that about? Not proud of the moniker of Salamander anymore, ashamed to be known as a dragon now?"_

 _Natsu just looked at him confused by the last part and asked, "What? They call me Hell's Judge? I didn't even know when they stop calling me Salamander, but I don't really care, I'll always Natsu Dragneel son of Igneel! And you would know why I'm not at Fairy Tail anymore, Luce knows the truth but that's it."_

" _So I was right, you didn't do it. I knew you would never hurt Luce. But why is she here… don't your guild mates realize your gone?" He said and we both relaxed._

" _No, I left a psychic projection behind, so they won't realize I'm gone. But my question is, where have you been? Haven't seen you in years now, neither has Natsu, and then you suddenly appear. AND YOU'RE THE ONE WHO'S UPSET!" I said, emphasizing the last part to guilt trip him._

" _Sorry Luce, but I didn't want people seeing me and then finding Natsu. I was just protecting him. Now I have a question for you? How big is your neck? And is white an ok color for a scarf? Or would prefer another color?" He said, which caused Natsu to smile at him until we both realized why he asked his last two questions._

" _Ummm, do you know about us?" I asked and held tightly onto Natsu._

" _Yes, since my last visit I could smell you two making love when I was in the air above Magnolia. And could hear you, man you two are ridiculously loud moaners." He said and we both turned as red as his scales. He laughed and asked, "So when's the wedding?"_

 _We both looked at each other then at him sheepishly, "A year and a half ago… Hahaha…" I said and I saw his eyes grow as wide as the moon._

" _WHAT?! I MISSED MY SON'S WEDDING!" He yelled and then began to cry melodramatically. "I missed my only son's wedding! I am a terrible Father! Luce, quick! Lucy Kick me! I deserve it!"_

 _We both sweat drop at his reaction and Natsu asked, "So you're not mad about not waiting for you?"_

" _OF COURSE NOT! I should be the one apologizing, I didn't even attempt to contact you and missed out on a chance of a lifetime! Here let me make it up to you! Where are the rings?" He asked and we both help up our left hands, showing the beautiful rings Natsu had gotten us. He smiled and put snout to our hands and muttered an incantation, causing our rings to glow._

 _We watched in awe as the rings glowed and when the glow faded away we looked at our rings and saw engraved now on each was a dragon and a key, wrapping around the entire ring, it was beautiful and now had been even more perfect than before. I began to cry at the gift and hugged Igneel, and said, "Thank you Igneel, this is perfect!" I looked at my ring in awe and was now eternally grateful that I had married a dragon slayer, as their parent was a truly great person._

" _Of course, my lovely daughter. Now I did also come to tell you one other thing. It's about him. We must find him and kill him as soon as possible." Igneel said and we both knew who he meant: Zeref._

 _END FLASHBACK_

That wasn't the last time we saw him, in fact we saw him every three months when he would report on his findings. He had found nothing as of yet. I smile at the memory and look at my ring and smile even brighter. I pull out my own scarf as well and say, "I'm feeling the scarf today, especially since it's so cold here, isn't it almost winter?"

"Yeah, and I hate it! I like the summer more!" He replied with disgust in his voice.

I pull him into a hug and say mockingly, "Aww, is my big strong dragon slayer afraid of the cold?"

"NO! I just really like the warmth… Um hey Luce, what day is it?" He asks and begins looking around and sniffing the air.

'Uh-oh. It can't be, can it?' I look at the calendar and my eyes grow wide, and I say, "Natsu it is that day. He's coming."

"Shit! Hurry! Let's get outside and away from the town! Igneel might destroy it like the last time!" He says and grabs the mattress and pulls me out the door, dragging the mattress cart that also has our bags on it. We rushed to the outskirts of the town we were in, ironically enough it was Hargeon so of course we had to leave running. We reached the outskirts of town and Igneel immediately landed next to us and said almost as quickly as he had appeared, "I have a lead."

The next day in Naito (POV Change to Esoj)

We arrived in Naito and quickly rushed off the train, not wanting to waste any time. I pulled out the communication lacrima and turned it on, calling Rames, "Hey where are you guys? We just got here and are looking for you guys." I said everything quickly and probably mumbled most of it but I was so excited I didn't even care. 'I finally get to meet my son! I wonder what he looks like, I wonder if he will be able to recognize me since he's never even seen me before? Will he accept me as his father? Or will he be happy for a time but then realize this was the first time I had ever met him?! Man I'm a terrible father.'

"Yeah, yeah, I hear you. We're at this café in the middle of town, it's called The Shadow, hard to miss. We're waiting, also got some woman here who says her husband is with you some guy called Rai-Raitone-Raitonekusasu? I think I said that right, but you know my Japanese is iffy at best. Hurry it up already though, the kid's dying to meet you and you making him wait is not helping." Rames said and my heart jumped at the mention of E.J. wanting to meet me.

I smile and say, "Ok we're on our way! We'll be there soon!" I turn off the lacrima and grab Nena's hand and practically drag her towards the center of town, looking for The Shadow. Then I remember that I know that place and I turn to Gōsuto and ask him, "Hey doesn't your old man own The Shadow?"

"Yeah, so ironically all the people we want to see are in the same place. Let's hurry it up, alright? I have something to ask him." Gōsuto said and we picked up our pace, soon then arriving to the center of town. It was busy today but we knew where we were going so we weaved our way in between the crowds.

We reached the café and entered it, we immediately saw a group of people waiting at a table near the back of the café. That's when I saw him. He was pretty tall like me, for his age at least, and was practically the spitting image of five-year-old me. He had my hair, my nose, my mouth shape, and a very defined chin and jaw line like I did. I had never been so happy to see the childhood version of me. I ran over to him, knocking over tables and people alike in my pursuit of my son, with Nena hot on my heels. He noticed us and I saw his face light up as he got up as well and ran to us, meeting me half way. We met in a hug and I swept him up off of his feet and was crying now, finally able to hold my son in my arms, like a father should.

I held him tightly and never wanted to let go, and turned to Nena and said through my sobs of joy, "Hey look, I have a son! He's really mine!" She laughed as she cried as well and joined me in my hug of him, I let him down and got on a knee so I could keep the contact we all had but not crush him, he was still only five after all. I broke the hug and looked into my sons tear-filled eyes with my own tear filled ones and said, "Hey E.J., how are you bud? I'm sorry for not being there for you and I'm sorry that this is the first time we met. I-I-I…"

To my surprise he just hugged me again and said, "Don't be sad Dad! I know what that you've been busy saving the world! Like a superhero! I am happy you're my Dad! YOU ARE AWESOME! You are the coolest Dad ever! Everybody is jealous that I'm your son! How could I be mad at that fact that you're busy SAVING THE WORLD!" He said which caused me to cry even more, even though my role is being blown a bit out of proportion. I smiled at him and looked at Nena who was doing the same as me, crying and smiling at our young son.

"Yeah, listen this-this is great and all, but you're making a huge scene so control yourselves will you?" The doctor said and sighed in annoyed at us. "Come Marco, this is too much emotion for me to handle properly, let us go back to the hotel."

"Do we get to have some fun finally if we do?" He asked causing the doctor to blush in embarrassment at his words, but she nodded none the less and he took her hand and rushed out the exit yelling behind him, "See you later! Bye ese!"

We all sweat dropped at his actions and boldness, but quickly recovered when the woman they had mentioned was there stood up and looked at us, saying, "Rai, so I guess you found him?"

"Yeah, Tsume, this is him and his new group. Guess what? They said I'm in! We'll be staying here for a while, so I hope you packed up everything from the last house. And where's Raito? Is he here or with your mother?" Rai replied as he walks over to her and gives her a chaste kiss on the forehead, smiling at her.

"He's here, actually he should be in here as well. RAITO! Where are you!" She yells and immediately a child that looks to be the same age as E.J. comes out and walks over to her and runs when he sees Rai.

"Daddy!" He yells and jumps into Rai's arms and is pulled up high above Rai's head, which is pretty high up as he is about the same height as the one called Jura is. He was a giant.

"Raito! Hey buddy! I missed you! But hey I have good news! I found uncle Gōsuto and a new place to stay! We're gonna be staying here for now." He said and Raito nodded his happily, as Rai added, "And I can stay for a while this time!"

At this Raito smiled and said, "Yay! Does this mean you can teach me magic finally? I'm five now and you promised!"

"Well I promised didn't I?! And your mommy said it was ok too so we're good!" They high fived at Rai's agreement of the plan and stood up looking our way.

"Hey Dad, can you teach me magic too? I already have shown the same magic as mom and you." E.J said and I looked at him and was surprised at the information.

Hesitantly I asked him, "Like BOTH of our magic or just similar?"

"Uncle Rames said it was like BOTH of your magic combined, he was pretty surprised too." He said and I looked at him realizing just how much potential I held in my arms, potential I must help guide.

"Then yes, I will train you! So will mom, consider it family bonding time!" I said and E.J.'s face lit up as he hugged me. I see the old man come out from behind a door and I know the look on his face means we're about to do some business. "Hey Tsume, right? Why don't we let Raito and E.J. play outside for a minute? I need to talk to the old man there with everyone. You can stay if you want though."

She nods and tells Raito to go and have some fun, and he runs to us and both him and E.J. run outside. "So, old man how are you doing?" Gōsuto asks, receiving a smack from the old man.

"Show some respect to your father! I raised you and trained you in the same magic I used so give me some respect! Honey, we raised an ungrateful son!" He yelled to someone who the stepped towards us and I recognized her as Gōsuto's mom.

"Now, now. Calm down Kurayami, no need to be upset, and Gōsuto! Please call him pops at least." She said and both men nodded meekly, clearly both did not want her upset even though she wasn't a mage.

Gōsuto picks up his and smirks at his dad and asks him, "Hey you fought Gildarts Clive back in the day, right?" His dad nodded and his smirk became a grin that went from ear to ear as he said, "Well, guess what. We fought about a month ago and I WON! That's right pops, I beat the only man you couldn't!"

Gōsuto's dad looked at him in surprise but then smiled and said, "Atta boy! I knew my training you was good for something! Way to go! We'll celebrate later, because I have news on that thing you asked me to keep an ear open about…"

Then we heard the door open and the kids ran in and yelled, "DRAGON!"

We all looked at them in shock, but understood who it was when Natsu and Lucy walked in Natsu threw his arms up. "We made it! And guess what? Igneel found us a lead!"

We all looked at him before Kurayami said, "As have I Natsu, as have I. I was the one who gave Igneel the information, now come we have much to discuss." With that he closed the café and we all went to the mansion we called home, everyone but the good doctor and Rames... they were a little busy… oh well, we had other things on our mind. 'Things are about to get real.'

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 **A/N: Whew, the story is about to pick up! And as I wrote this, we had someone review! Thanks sashaXmafuyuFOREVER, we are now at six out of ten! Four more to go! SO READ AND REVIEW! ADIOS!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 34: Plans

 **A/N: Hello there people! So just as an FYI, I am about half way done writing the one-shot that will tie into this story, and will function as a background story for an OC. But I'm not saying who! You'll just have to wait and see. So we are now up to Nine out of Ten, one more and we'll a double chapter day! There is a new follower and a favoriter, so thanks Thobdon! And sashaXmafuyuFOREVER once again reviewed, so thank you very much! For now, enjoy the chapter!**

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(Natsu POV)

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" I yelled as I suddenly realized something, "Who the fuck is this guy and the chick? Why are they here!?" I asked as I saw a very tall man and a somewhat tall woman walking with us and wondered who exactly the fuck they were.

Kurayami spoke in their defense, saying, "This is Gōsuto's old partner, Raitonekusasu and his wife Tsume. They just joined us yesterday."

I nodded my head looking at the man and his wife, "So you were Gōsuto's partner? What kind of magic do you use? Oi! Gōsuto, he should be pretty strong, right?"

Raitonekusasu nodded and said, "I'm a light magic user, and yes I was the fighting specialist back in the day, all ranges. They call me the Light of The…"

"Light of The Dead." I said and looked at him. He had quite the reputation, "Yeah your strong enough to be a Ronin. Welcome aboard. Kurayami. Is 'The Castle' ready for us?" I ask as I look ahead and see our base of operations, a place I call 'The Castle', which is actually Kurayami's old hideout that he abandoned when he got married. What better place to run our operations than the place another former criminal who never once got caught used?

"Yes. Honey," He said as looked at his wife, "when we get there could you make some food for everyone? I have much to discuss with these young ones. Igneel already knows everything, as does Natsu and Lucy I'm guessing. Igneel! Go and make the necessary… preparations around the area! I'll tell them everything!" Kurayami said as we arrived at the mansion. Igneel nodded and flew away, looking back at me and Lucy, smirking as he did. The mansion grounds were big enough to actually house him but he apparently needed to do some things outside of town.

"Yoosh! To the meeting room everyone! Luce, have Virgo prepare the rooms for Rai and his family. The same for the one called… Rames, right Esoj?" He nodded and I continued, "Right, one for Rames and his wife, and one for E.J.. Alright, kids the adults need to talk so why don't you… Um, Rai, who the fuck is that?" We all looked and saw a small girl following right behind Rai, looking very shy and intimidated by everyone.

"Oh, Mai! There you are! Hey no need to go and look for Gōsuto anymore, I found him. Since you don't need to be looking for him why don't you take care of the kids? We'll be busy for a while." Rai said and she nodded and walked away with a smile now on her face.

She stopped in front of us and said in a very quiet voice, "Hello, I am Rai's younger sister, Mai. I am sorry for not showing myself before but I couldn't tell who you were, I am very shy but I can do housework, so I hope I can be of use. Arigato." Shy was an understatement. I think Wendy when she first joined Fairy Tail was more outgoing and loud than this girl.

"Of course, just do as Rai said and then we'll talk more later. Virgo! Add another room to the list!" Lucy called out to Virgo who peeked her head out a window and nodded.

"Any punishment princess?" She called back and Lucy and I both groan.

"NO! YOU ARE NEVER IN ANY NEED OF PUNISHMENT SO STOP ASKING!" We both yelled at her, at which she nodded and went back inside. We looked back and saw Mai and Gōsuto looking at each other, their faces stuck in soft, small grins. We both raised an eyebrow at this and looked at Rai, who looked very, very annoyed by the interaction.

"Hi Mai. Been a while." Gōsuto said and Mai nodded, continuing to smile at him.

"Ahem. Don't you have kids to look after?" Rai asked and Mai jumped a little before running off to watch the kids, with Gōsuto's mom behind them.

Then Tsume hits Rai on the head and says, "Leave them alone! She's old enough to do what she wants. She can love whoever she wants. WHOEVER."

He rubbed his head and sighed, saying, "I know, I just want her to be safe. Oi, Gōsuto you better treat her right! Or I'll kill you!" Gōsuto looked at him blushing a little as he nodded and watched Mai leave the group.

"Ok, enough dawdling! Let's go already!" I said impatiently and they all jumped a bit and nodded, walking quickly into the meeting room. We arrive and everyone takes a seat except for Kurayami and me, "Ok so we found something out, and it's pretty big. Kurayami if you will."

"You forgot already, huh boss?" Esoj asked me and I sighed.

"Yes." I said earning a groan from everyone.

"Sit back down. Geez and you guys let him lead you? Geez it's a miracle you guys are even alive still." Kurayami said as I sat down. He sighed and continued, saying, "Right, as we all know the current whereabouts of Zeref are unknown, and the only people who do are with Zeref right now. So just about no one. There is one person who does however. And we found him, his name is Chun Fay. He is also known as The Index, he knows just about everything there is to know and he's been known to work for dark guilds. Most recently, however, he was seen working with a man fitting the description of Zeref himself. He was last seen in Boa and was seen there with the guy who might actually be Zeref. Fay is not a very strong fighter but is able to use his brain to just outsmart people, which is why he's never been caught before. We need to find him soon, before he gets the chance to move again. Also, we know he will be there in Boa for at least another two weeks, he's looking for something, my sources tell me. Something that Zeref wants, and he's not gonna leave until he either finds it or his time is up there. Apparently he can't stay in any one place too long or his brain begins to hurt, something about stupidity rubbing off on him, so he is always moving. So here's the plan, someone is going to go to Boa and capture him, once they do that they will bring him back here. Once here, Gōsuto and I will interrogate him using our magic. We can cause him to experience immense amounts of vivid, mind shattering nightmares and other sorts of mental torture. Once we secure the information of what he's looking for, we'll find it ourselves and use it to lure out Zeref, at which point we will use Lumen Historie and then defeat Zeref. Any questions?" He said finishing his report, his sources truly amazing me. How he knew all these people who were always in the know amazed me. Guess you make a lot of friends when you don't burn down every town you visit…

"Yeah, I do. Who will be going? We shouldn't all go and some of us will need to be here to help contain Lumen Historie, so that takes Nena and I out, and Gōsuto has to stay as he is holding it in his dimensions. So that leaves Natsu, Lucy, and Rai. Who will volunteer?" Esoj asked and we all looked at one another.

"Luce and I will. Rai will need the rest, as do all of you, plus we can ride Igneel and get there pretty quickly. Ok? Ok. Now. What does he look like?" I asked and Kurayami handed me a file, I opened it and saw what he looked like. Man was he ugly! "Ok, we'll leave tomorrow in the morning. Everyone we are close now to the end. I don't know how it will end but we should be ok as long as we fight together as a team. I can't promise you guys anything other than people to lean on and people you can call family. I know that we will always be family and nakama. Let us remember our promise to the world and to each other. Join me in the chant!" I said as everyone nodded and smiled at my words, feeling reassured of ourselves now.

"THOUGH WE MAY HAVE NO TRUE HOME WE ARE NEVER ALONE! THOUGH NO ONE MAY WANT US WILL DO WHAT IS NEEDED! THOUGH NO ONE MAY APPRECIATE WHAT WE DO WE WILL ALWAYS DO THE RIGHT THING! WE ARE THE FORSAKEN, THE FORGOTTEN, THE LOST, WE ARE THE RONIN! DEATH TO OUR ENEMIES AND TO THE EVER LASTING GLORY THAT AWAITS US IN THE FUTURE. LIVE! FIGHT! LIVE AND FIGHT FOREVER!" We yelled as loudly as possible, almost causing the room to shake, something that caused all of us to smile at one another. We stood and saluted one other and left one by one, before it was just Lucy and me alone in the room.

"So what are we going to do exactly when this is over? I mean it's not like we can just go back anymore; the guild won't accept us anymore. And it's not like we can all stay together like this, Esoj and Nena will go home, as will Rai, and Gōsuto is going to stay here with his family and Mai, hopefully. So what about us? I know we said we are those without a home and are ok with it, but can we really live like this? I know I don't want to, I want a family and a regular life, well as regular a life a mage can have." She said and I pulled her into a hug and kissed her forehead soothingly, and she asked me, "What do you want Natsu?"

"I want to live a life that includes you and hopefully many little Natsu's and Luce's running around. I want a life where I can work and then come home to you and my family. I want exactly what you want Luce. I want a normal life. But I don't know if we'll ever get that anymore. We both have done many things that have gained us a reputation, a reputation that will never leave us and will force us to either go to jail or be chased forever. There is no escape from this fate anymore, we did what was right. But we also knew that in doing so, we would forever doom ourselves to this fate. I'm sorry Luce…" I paused as I felt tears stain my eyes, "I'm sorry that I dragged you into this and have ruined our chance at a good life, the life that you wanted so desperately wanted. I'm so sorry Luce." I then felt a hand slap me in the face and I looked to see Lucy crying as well, as she looked at me.

"Baka! I chose this life. I know it may not be what I always wanted, but as long as I'm with you, I don't care. I love you more than anything in my life. It's why I chased after you, I refused to believe you could hurt me, and guess what? I was right, you could never hurt me and you never will. I love you, I love you Natsu Dragneel. And that's why I want exactly what we have now, I want life to be with you, and I always want to stay by your side, I never want to leave your side." She said as the tears came down and I pulled her back into the hug, sobbing quietly with her as we both tried to display just how much we loved each other.

****** SHORT LEMON*****

I pulled back and gave her a kiss so passionate and full of love, I can feel my soul pour into her and I pull her onto my lap. We sit like this for a while, just kissing softly and letting the emotions pour out of us. I pull her up as I stand up, and carry her to our room and see that Virgo already put the mattress on the bed. I lay her down on the bed and claim her lips once again, and poke my tongue out seek entrance to her mouth. She opens up as she slides her skirt off and I shimmy out of my pants, and my boxers as well. I fell just how hard I am, feel her rub her hips against me and I swear I see stars from the friction. I groan into her mouth and I work my way from her mouth to her jaw line, planting kisses everywhere I went and sucking at the junction of her shoulder and neck, leaving a mark and causing her to moan loudly.

I sit up a bit and take off my shirt as she does the same, undoing her bra as well. I lean back down and I pick her up and line my cock up with her vagina, and quickly push in and start groping her breasts, licking and sucking on her right one as my left hand massages her breasts roughly. I pump into her and build a steady pace, hitting her g-spot every time causing her to moan loudly and she grabs at my hair, grabbing fistfuls of my hair.

"Faster Natsu! Faster!" She moaned and I oblige, pumping faster and harder than before, hard enough to where I know she won't be able to walk right tomorrow. I begin to feel my stomach coil and I know I'm close, and so is she as both yell each other's names as loudly as we can and I feel her inner walls tighten around me as she comes, me following right after. I thrust a few more times before I know I'm empty and I slump down next to her and pull out. We get comfortable and look each other in the eyes and I kiss her forehead before I pull her tightly against me.

We both drift towards sleep, as I hold her in my arms and I whisper in her ear, "I love you Luce."

She whispers back, almost fully asleep, "I love you too Natsu."

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 **A/N: Surprise! A small amount of citrus as we get ready for some action next chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it, if not… Oh well. And we have breaking news! We got the last vote necessary for ten and tomorrow will be a two chapter day! SO PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! ADIOS!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 35: The Hunt

 **A/N: Hello there people! So I hope your excited, because today is the day! THERE WILL BE TWO CHAPTERS TODAY! First shout out to FanGirlLevy for the follow! Thanks! Now onto the chapter!**

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The following morning (Natsu POV)

I woke up and stretched, yawning loudly as I looked down to see Lucy doing the same as me. "Morning Luce. Sleep well?" I asked as I gave her a hug and kissed her on the forehead.

"Yeah, how about youuuuuuu!?" She started to say as she got up and tried to walk, only to almost fall over before I caught her while laughing like crazy, last night's activities shockingly making her that sore and wobbly, "SHUT UP! This your fault!"

"Uh, no. If I remember you yelling for me to go faster, which means go harder, so I did." I said, smiling at her as she turned redder than Igneel's scales. "Don't be embarrassed, it'll just turn me on more, your face is too cute when it's red like this. Now relax. Here, let me relax your muscles by heating them up a little bit, now come here." I pulled her up so she was facing me and her legs were on my lap, I put my hands on her legs and warmed up my hands. I immediately felt her muscles relax and she sighed in contentment, her legs regaining their strength.

"Thanks Natsu! Now let's go! We have a long day ahead of us. Now get dressed!" She said and walked over to the bags and threw me some new clothes as she got dressed in a black tank top and white skirt, with her keys on her belt next to her whip. She put on her boots and I got dressed in my usual outfit, both of us wearing the scarves that Igneel made us. "I think today's a good day to match, no? I think Igneel might not like it if we didn't. I'd rather not have him mad since he'll be our ride for the day."

I smiled at her and took her hand and said, "Yeah, he almost started crying when he missed our wedding, so he probably wouldn't like seeing us not wearing our scarves. Let's get going, he's impatient like me. Come on!" I dragged her along until she caught up to my pace, we get outside and see Igneel waiting for us.

(POV Change to Lucy)

As he soon as he sees us wearing our scarves he smiles and says, "So you are wearing your scarves! Ah, that makes me feel better, at least now I know you liked your gifts! I feel better about them, and I feel like you actually love me! Luce hug me!" I sweat dropped and hugged him as best as I could, smirking after a second thinking that he sounds more like an overbearing stay at hom mother-in-law than the king of Fire dragons, before he grunted and said, "Man Luce, lose some weight, your heavy. And now I have to carry you? Natsu you married a weirdo!"

"OH FUCK YOU! I get it enough from Natsu, so shut up!" I yelled at him very out of character and I gasped at my outburst. "Sorry! I don't know what came over me!"

"Ok… um sorry about that. Natsu, treat your wife with respect you idiot! You should only say nice words to her, like how big her ass is, or her breasts." Igneel scolded.

"Kyaaa! Pervert!" I yelled as I blushed and the two males laughed at me. I glared at them and huffed, saying, "Fine, be like that. I'll just stay here and let you two go on your own. See if I care."

"Aw, Luce don't be like that. I'm sorry, the truth is you're a beautiful angel, and I am unworthy of you! And I mean that." Natsu apologized and I could tell he was sincere.

I sighed, relenting and said, "Ok, I believe you. Now let's get going ok? We have a long journey ahead of us. Igneel, are you ready?" Igneel nodded and lowered himself so we can climb onto his back, and Natsu climbed up first and then helped me up.

As I got up onto his back, he pulled me into his lap and kissed me on the cheek, saying, "Hold on tight. He likes quick takeoffs, and keeping that speed. Hey dad, how long of a trip are we looking at?"

"Twelve hours. We'll stop every three and rest for an hour, so it should take sixteen hours in total. Sorry but there's no way you two could last longer than three hours at a time. Get ready, because here we go." Igneel replied and suddenly we are up in the air and my stomach was on the ground still.

"OH MY GODS! KYAAA!" I cried out and didn't stop for the first three hours.

I must have made Natsu deaf because when we landed and we got off and I started kissing the ground he was yelling the whole time, "GODDAMN LUCE! CAN YOU STOP YELLING ALREADY?!"

I looked up from the ground and said, "I did. Natsu can you hear me? Natsu!" I waited until I realized his ears were adjusting to normal sounds again. So what? I screamed while riding a dragon, who wouldn't?

"Oh, ok. Whew man that was loud, I warned you about his flying, he's crazy. It's why I hate transportation, only reason I don't get sick on him is because he's not transportation, so don't ask about it." He said and I sighed in relief he could hear me now, and that he wasn't yelling anymore. "Hey dad, I brought some food, you hungry or you wanna save it?"

"Save it, we have three more stops to go. And Luce, if you scream the whole time again I'll have Natsu tie your mouth shut with your scarf, I almost went deaf." He said and looked serious about it, "But if you're ready, we can leave now."

"Just give me half an hour and I can't promise anything. Sorry." I said and laid down on Natsu's chest and asked Igneel, "So how have you been dad?"

"Good, I've been flying a lot though. Ran into Grandine while I was out and about, Metalicana too. Told me an interesting story," He paused and looked at his very seriously, "about how you attacked Fairy Tail and killed four people, nothing major." He said pointedly and we knew we were screwed.

"Listen we can explain, we had to do it!" Natsu started, "Lisanna almost killed both of us and the others tried to kill us too you know." Natsu said very defensively and I nodded furiously. "Sorry dad, but you know I had to, Zeref comes first and I will do anything to stop him. ANYTHING."

Igneel nodded and said calmly, "I understand, just surprised by the death count."

"OH SHIT! I just remembered we forgot to tell Gōsuto to release the dimension I dumped my magic in! Quick call him!" I said and he pulled out the lacrima and turned it on. "Gōsuto! Can you hear me?"

"Holy shit! Mai! right there! YES!" I heard Gōsuto moan and I quickly turned the lacrima off.

Natsu start howling in laughter as does Igneel while I blush at the embarrassing moment. "Man, we really have to work on timing as a group, we interrupt each other having sex way too often." Natsu said and I nodded before looking at him and laughing at the memories we had shared doing that.

"Ok, Igneel. I'm ready. Let's get moving, I'd rather not wait anymore." I said and we climbed aboard, getting ready for another long journey.

Time Skip to when they arrive (Natsu POV)

We landed just outside of Boa and hop off Igneel as I said, "Ok dad. We'll give you the signal when we find him, just go and hang out somewhere and don't get caught, or else we're fucked." Igneel nods and takes off, heading towards the mountains off to the west of Boa.

I turn to Lucy and nod, telling her the plan is a go and we need to get moving. Our plan is to first find a man named Fun, Fay's handler and associate and find out where exactly Fay is in Boa. Boa is rather large and looking for him by finding his scent would be near impossible, as there would be too many scents. So once we find Fun we will extract the information from him and take Fay captive, and hopefully take his research in one fell swoop. If not, then we'll just take him back to base and have the others extract the information out of him the hard way. 'I'm pulling for the interrogation method.' I thought to myself, particularily intrigued by what Kurayami had said before. 'I wonder just how successful this torture would be… it's only a bunch of nightmares to be honest…'

We walk into the city and head to a small bar on the outskirts of town, the place where all the scum gathers like dirt on a boot. We know he frequents a place called 'The Constrictor', yes like the snake, and is most likely there right now. We arrive and enter the bar, the two of us separating and fanning out in the bar to cover more ground. I walk around the edge of the bar and head to the back corner of the bar, where I find our man sitting there drinking a beer of sorts.

"This seat taken?" I asked him and he shook his head, clearly confident that no one was going to touch him. No one would hurt a guy who worked for someone as well known as The Index, or so he thought. "So I'm looking for a guy, name's Fay, heard he could help me with something, you know him?" I asked and saw as he visibly tensed at my question.

"Maybe I do, maybe I don't. Who wants to know?" He said as coolly as possible, trying to seem like my question didn't affect him even though it obviously did.

"A prospective client, that's who, no need for names yet unless I know if you have the information I need, right?" I said as I took a beer off the waitress's cart as she came around trying to sell more beer. I took a swig and continued looking at him with a very nonchalant look to myself, though my face was hidden by my cloak.

"Hmmm, ok. I might know where he is, but it's gonna cost ya. 20,000 jewel for the meeting, another 40,000 for his services, and that price is daily. He's a busy guy as you would guess." He said and I nodded.

"Alright, but you're not getting any money until I know that you ain't bullshitting me. I'm not just gonna blindly trust ya. Take me to him, I want to talk to him first. Gotta be specific in what I need him to do for me." I said and the guy nodded, and stood up as well holding out his hand for me to shake, which I took and shook firmly. "Alright let me grab my partner and we'll be on our way. Follow me."

I stood up as well and we walked over to the bar where Lucy was but only made it halfway there when a guy came flying at us, his nose broken and his face bloodied. "Don't fucking touch me you pervert!" She yelled and I sweat dropped, 'Idiot, you never touch Luce, she's fucking crazy when that happens.' She sees us and walks over to us and says, "So you found him? Good, this place is crawling with pervs, so let's get out of here. Oi, eyes up, my face is up here not where my boobs are." She looked at Fun and he immediately straightened up, apologizing under his breath.

We walked out and headed back into town, walking into the town center and into a very busy café. He nods to the girl working the counter and she nods back, opening the counter so we can walk into the back of the café. We enter the back and he pushes an unseen button on the wall and the wall slides away, revealing a hidden entrance to a hidden room. We walk in and see that there are stairs there and walk down them, the stairs seemingly looking like they go on forever. But end they did. When they did, we reached a door that was bolted and would take weeks to melt through. But that's why we went with this plan, no?

He opened the door and walks inside, calling out, "Oi, boss! I brought some clients in today. Come on out!"

We then walk in as well, and see as Fay walks into the light. I was right, he's one ugly son of a bitch. He sees us and says, "Natsu Dragneel and Lucy Heartiphilia, to what do I owe the misfortune?"

"Tch, who says we came here to bring misfortune? We simply want some information you should have. Now we are prepared to pay you for it, but are ready to simply take it instead." I say as I lower my hood as does Lucy, neither of us surprised that he knew who we were.

"What do you want to know?" Fay asked as he stood before Lucy and checked her out, ogling at her figure.

"Well for one thing, you should know that her name is now Luce Dragneel-Heartiphilia, so stop checking out my wife." I said as he immediately stopped using that huge brain of his to think, continuing as he looked at me now, "And I also know you're here on business, you're looking for something. I want it. Hand over the information you have and we'll leave you be, with the money your man requested of us."

"Ha! Like I would actually give you that, you know who I'm doing this for and you know he doesn't take too kindly to failure. He killed one of his own lieutenants when he failed to bring him the right amount of sugar for his tea, I would know I was there. Now imagine if I failed to bring him the thing he wants, do you actually think he'll let me live if that's the case?" Fay said.

I scoffed and said, "I don't care, I want what you got hidden here," I pointed to his head and got even closer to him, whispering in his ear, "and I will have it. Now you can hand it over quietly with no mess, or things can get real messy and you wouldn't want that. Because I want it messy, I don't get to bash heads in as much anymore. So believe me when I say, you don't want that."

He looked at me and then yelled, "Index: Book End!" Suddenly the walls came out and tried to crush me, I stopped them with one finger each and scoffed at his effort.

"Is that all? My sources were right, you aren't a fighter at all. Luce, deal with Fun, I'll deal with Fay." I said and the there was a crashing sound and a groan as Fun came flying and landed in front of me. "Huh, that weak? You should have hired better men Fay, because now it's just us. Luce seal the door would you? We need to have a chat with Mr. Fay here." I smirked at the last part and watched as Fay tried to yell out a spell, but I stopped him by letting him feel the immensity of my magical power, which he did and started choking due to the pressure. I scoff and grab him by the throat, asking, "Now, Fay, what are you looking for? What does Zeref want?"

Struggling, he choked out, "I won't tell. I'm more scared of Zeref than you. I'd rather take a beating and say nothing than die."

"Oh, your death can be arranged, you see my other associates only really need your body more or less intact to get the information… you've heard of The Light and Dark duo of Naito, right?" I asked and he nodded slowly, "Then you should know I'm not bluffing. Now talk, fast or else." I said as fear filled his eyes at the realization of the validity of my threat, or the supposed validity of it. It was a rumor that those two could use even dead objects to find out the truth, but it was false. They needed the body alive, maybe not in good condition but alive, to interrogate him. And I want him alive to see if he actually goes back to Zeref. Save us the trouble of looking for him.

He looks at my blank face and shakes his head, "No you won't kill me. You want me alive and well so you can not only get the information, but also possibly lead you to Zeref. Well, I am not saying a thing." 'Shit, he called the bluff, I really need to work on not zoning out like that…. Oh well, I guess the jig's up.'

I start to let more of my magical energy flow out and he begins to suffocate faster, and is soon unconscious. "Luce we're gonna have to bring him back, find something to tie him up with and the search the place. Make sure Fun doesn't follow, leave him for the authorities here."

"I thought this would happen so I brought some magic cancelling handcuffs, he won't escape if we use these. But we will need something so we can tie him up to Igneel's back." She said sighing as she threw me the cuffs and I put them on him. "Go outside and call Igneel in, we should be ready for extraction soon. I'll look around and see if I can find anything."

I nodded and slung Fay over my shoulder and saw some rope by the door, 'Well would you look at that? Conveniently placed rope, like this some spy movie or something...' I grabbed the rope and walked outside, holding my hand up. I pointed one finger up in the air, shooting a flame out which then exploded in the air like a flare would.

Lucy walked up behind me as she sighs and says, "All I got were his journals, and those are basically unreadable. Don't know what he's looking for still, however it does look like it has to do with Tartarus… again. Thinking what I'm thinking?"

I sighed and nodded my head, "Yeah, he could be trying to find where we hid his book of demons, not like he'll ever find it. I burned it years ago, didn't even leave the ashes. No way he can call out any of those demons again."

She nodded and watched as Igneel landed in front of us, careful not to destroy any buildings as I said, "Hunt complete dad, let's go home." He nodded and we climbed on top of his back and flew away, leaving behind the place of our happiest memory, which we had slipped our minds. Not like we would have done anything special, there is no time for that anymore.

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 **A/N: Whew part one of two for today is done! Thanks for reading and remember to READ AND REVIEW! ADIOS! AND KEEP READING THERE IS ANOTHER CHAPTER TO READ TODAY!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 36: Leaving

 **A/N: Second Chapter! So before we start the chapte?, super big time shout out to my person of the day in touchofviper, who followed and favorited not only my story, but me as an author as well! Today you win my person of the day! Now on with Chapter 36!**

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Five days after the battles- At the guild (Levy POV)

'Gajeel, please wake up already, I miss you. I need you to wake up honey. WAKE UP YOU JERK!' I mentally yelled as I lay next to Gajeel, who was still unconscious, as he slept comfortably while I worried about him. 'It's been five days already, please wake up. I need to talk to you, your the only person I trust not to say anything.'

A tear escaped my eye, and fell onto Gajeel's cheek, I wiped my eyes so I wouldn't cry again as I thought about the fact that everyone I could have trusted was gone. 'Gajeel is here, Jet and Droy are busy teaching all the time now, and Lu-…Lucy is well, she isn't here anymore.' It felt strange not to call Lucy Lu-chan anymore but how could I? She killed someone, and that isn't so easily taken back, in fact it's damn near impossible unless she was a necromancer. But then she'd be creepy… ugh! My best friend just destroyed my image of her… GAJEEL I NEED YOU NOW.

I then felt a shift in the body next to me and a groan before the deep, gruff voice that I love more than anything said, "Ow… my head. Geezus, what hit me? Where the fuck am I? Huh? Levy! Why are ya crying again?" I threw myself on top of Gajeel and started kissing him all over,

"Finally, you woke up! I was getting worried!" I said as I stopped kissing him as he sat up and I slid into his lap, looking like a young child compared to him and his immense height and massive muscles. It was like a giant having a smurf sit on his lap.

"Worried? Why? Where the fuck am I? This isn't my room, everything is white and it looks like the guild's infirmary…" He paused mid question as he saw the look of concern on my face and then the memories of five days ago hit him like he were an anvil and the memories a hammer. "That fucking bastard... Salamander… THAT FUCKING BASTARD! WHERE IS HE? I'LL KILL HIM! HE FUCKING KILLED MASTER! WHERE THE FUCK IS HE?" Gajeel yelled as he tried to get up and I did my best to restrain him, but I was of no use.

Lily, who had entered when he heard me yell, was forced to step in and go into his battle mode to restrain him. "Gajeel, you must remain calm! Getting angry will not help us! You must stay strong!" Lily said, but his words fell on deaf ears.

"Fuck that! That bastard killed the only man who treated me like a good person and like someone who deserved a chance, who deserved the same opportunity everyone else had! He killed the only other human I considered a parent! NOW WHERE THE FUCK IS HE?!" Gajeel yelled and threw Lily off of him and tried to get up.

"HE LEFT!" I yelled and looked at him pleadingly, "Just listen and I'll tell you everything. But please, just relax first. Please?" I asked and he looked at me and saw how desperate I was to get him to relax and listen, so he did and sat back down, crossing his arms in annoyance. "Ok, now after your battle we saw that he had killed Master, Lucy, the other three, and him left," He looked at me in surprise when I said Lucy instead of Lu-chan, but I continued, "they left and no one has seen or heard about them since then and that was about five days ago. Not a peep. No one else won by the way. Jura and Lyon were hurt pretty badly, but have already returned to their hotel along with Richard and the rest of Lamia scale, also Erza and Jellal have gone home as well. Gildarts, Laxus, and Gray are all still unconscious and could remain so for a little while longer. I don't know why you were able to wake up today, but Mira, Elfman, Cobra, and Cana are all awake and everyone but Cana has gone home, she won't be for a while, her shoulder is completely destroyed as is her career as a mage."

I finished and watched as Gajeel processed everything and then said, as if he realized something, "What about Juvia and Warrod? You didn't say anything about them."

I stiffened at his question and began debating to myself whether or not I should tell him the truth. I looked away sighing, and then I spoke because I knew he would figure out soon anyways, "They-they um, they didn't make it. They were killed in their battles. I'm sorry Gajeel."

I looked at him and saw the conflicting emotions on his face and began to cry, and he soon joined me to my surprise as he said, "No, no this can't be… She was supposed to be there for me. She would make sure I stayed on the straight path, be there for Joi so we could have fun together, be there for us to help us in the hard times and the good times. She was supposed to be a key part of our lives, she was supposed to be here! …Gray, that bastard. WHERE IS HE?! THAT OATH BREAKER! He promised to be there for her always, to protect her, to care for her and what does he let happen? HE LET HIS OWN WIFE DIE! WHERE THE FUCK IS HE?!" Gajeel yelled, struggling to get up as tried to hold him down.

"Gajeel! Please calm down! It wasn't his fault! He tried to protect her but Lucy was too strong for him…" I started and felt Gajeel tense up and I could feel the rage pouring out of him.

"Bunny girl killed her? OH THEN SHE IS THE ONE WHO IS GONNA DIE! WHEN I FIND HER I'M GONNA…" He started, but was cut off.

"DO WHAT? GET YOURSELF KILLED? Gajeel, you have to understand, at this time she is in a league above our own, she is on par with those known as the gods of Ishgar, maybe even stronger, she would have killed all of us if she wanted to, but she didn't do it! We have a chance now! And we need to be alive to seize this opportunity! So please calm down and wait Gajeel, because we need to talk, a serious talk." I said and looked at him, he paused then grumbled but sat back down for the third time. "Ok, Gajeel listen, we need to go and find Metalicana and ask him for help. We need him to train you again. I know for a fact that he is nearby Magnolia. He came and talked to me the other day and asked me to ask if you will you let him train you one last time? And this would not be some stay at home training, but training that will include leaving here for a while, which is why he told me about this in advance. So I could decide what to do, and what I ended up deciding was… I am going to leave with you as well, along with Joi and Lily joining us. We all need to train and what better way to train than abroad and away from distractions? So will you please do this so we can avenge our friend?"

(POV Change to Gajeel)

I look at Levy and I wonder if what she said really was true, 'Are Natsu and Lucy really that much stronger than me? When did I fall so far behind? And Metalicana is here? So much for wondering where he ran off to, oh well at least this time he came back to me. But is training with him really going to be enough to catch and surpass Lucy and Natsu? Or is that just unrealistic? But then again, Salamander probably got training from Igneel so it would make sense to have Metalicana train me some more and to also catch up with him, lords know I need it, and that I want it. He hasn't even met Joi yet, or Lily for that matter. Ok, then I think that just about settles it.'

"Yes." I said and looked Levy in the eyes, "We should wait for the funerals to pass, but then once they do, we are gone, not even a full's weeks wait, ok? I wanna get out of here as soon as possible." I say as I sit up, but this time calmly and look around before asking, "Where's Joi?"

"She's with Olive and Maks, they are downstairs but more importantly can you stand? Or should I bring Porylusica to you?" Levy asked as she got off my lap.

I threw my legs over the side of the bed and stood up, quietly answering her question before I asked, "Ummm, do you have any clean clothes I can change into? These… gowns are a bit strange. And plus they smell like shit."

Levy and Lily giggled. Levy walked over to a chair with a bag on it and she pulled out my usual outfit of late. A black shirt with gray pants, and a headband that is a bright blue, matching Levy's hair. I put it on and stretched while doing so to wake up the muscles in my body. "Ok, let's go find the old hag and talk to her, since I'm guessing she was the one taking care of me, right?" Levy nodded and we left the room and walk downstairs, looking for Porylusica and find her next to the bar, sitting and actually talking to people like a normal person. "So you actually talk to people now old hag? What, figured out you are human too, so hating humans was stupid right? Gihee." I said and looked at her.

She didn't even acknowledge my dig at her and simply said, "You're awake already? Impressive. How does your head feel, any light headedness? Any nausea? Trouble walking or seeing straight?"

"No to all of them and memory is still good. I wanted to ask you who was in charge until Laxus wakes up? We need to talk to that person about something." I asked as she nodded her head.

"I would be that person unfortunately, or so the wall says." She pointed to the wall behind the bar and there in someone's writing are the words, 'Porylusica is in charge until Laxus wakes up, Not Macao, Not again, never Macao.' I chuckled while nodding my head as this really did sound like something master would say.

"Ok well we need to talk in private so if you will follow us. Levy, Lily you too." I said and they all followed me into the back room. This was going to be interesting.

(POV Change to Wendy)

I watched as Gajeel and the others left the main room and headed to the back room and I sighed softly as I watched them. "What's wrong Wendy?" Doran asked and looked at me.

"Nothing, just wondering what that was all about. Never expected Gajeel to be up so soon, since his head was cracked open and all. Expected him to be our at least another day or two." I said very blandly, almost without any emotion as I felt dejected for some reason.

"Wendy, don't lie to me, I can tell when you're lying, so please tell me what's wrong. I want to help you however I can, so please let me do so." Doran said and I felt myself get angry.

"I'M NOT FUCKING LYING! NOTHING IS WRONG!" I yelled at him and immediately felt my eyes water up. I then stopped thinking as I realized I had started crying, the tears falling quickly and there was nothing I can do to stop them.

Doran pulls me into a hug and whispers in my ear, "Shhh, it's ok. I'm here for you, I won't leave you, ever." I hug him back and cry even harder, letting my emotions pour out of me.

I look down which was a mistake, as I see his shadow and the memories of what happened to me flood my brain as I saw the shadow flicker into a person and I yell, "GET HIM AWAY FROM ME! DON'T LET HIM TOUCH ME! GET AWAY!" I yell so loudly that Porylusica hears and comes out and sees me and runs over to me.

"Quick, someone turn on all the lights so there are no shadows being cast! Hurry!" She commands and Levy one ups her by creating some light using her magic and it illuminates the whole room to the point where there can almost be no darkness at all.

"Hey Wendy, shhh, I'm here still. That bastard isn't. Shhh. It's ok, I'm here." Doran cooed into my ear and I realize just what the problem is, 'I have PTSD, and it's causing me to fall into depression, very quickly too. I can't even look at shadows… Am I really that broken?' I looked at myself and think about what just happened and think to myself, 'Yes, yes I am.' I start crying again and know that I wasn't going to stop any time soon, and that I was never going to be the same.

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 **A/N: Whew, it's done! So I hope you guys like both chapters! And the plan is to do double chapter days every time we get a combination of ten or more! We're already at eight thanks to the voters, FanGirlLevy and touchofviper! SO PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! ADIOS!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 37: Interrogations

 **A/N: Welcome back! So, we were close yesterday to getting to ten already! We had eight of the necessary ten already! But then someone unfollowed… oh well, it happens I guess. But THEN THREE PEOPLE CAME UP CLUTCH FOR YOU GUYS! Shout out to brucie86 for the favorite of the story, and for the follow and favorite of me, and for the review! To TsuabakiSakura for the favorite and follow, AND TO ZaxForever for the favorite! Thanks to these three people there will be two updates tomorrow! One is just a regular chapter, while the other will be a one-shot! It's called "Thanks Jiji" So be on the lookout! Also the poll is now closed, the results being: Alive – 7, Dead – 1. We'll see if you guys are right soon enough. WARNING, INTERROGATION IS GRAPHIC, SO IF YOUR SQUEAMISH THEN ENJOY! BUT NO SERIOUSLY JUST SKIP IT. ENJOY!**

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Back in Naito, The next day (Gōsuto POV)

I wake up and look down to see Mai lying next to me and I smile slightly at her, leaning down a kissing the side of her head. "Good Morning Gōsuto." She said sleepily and looked up at me, yawning.

"Morning Mai, how did you sleep?" I said as I sat up, I crossed my legs and looked at her and grinned stupidly at her.

"Pretty well, I was pretty tired after what we did yesterday…" She blushed at the memory, well memories as we did it all day basically and didn't leave the room. It had been years since I had seen her or been able to do this, not since I left and went stopped being a criminal. 'I missed this, and I hope she did as well, she was only a year younger than Rai, who was a year older than me so we are the same age and have always been inseparable. I loved her the first time I saw her… but never did anything for the first few years I knew her since Rai said not to or he would kill me... And I believed him, I had seen what happens to what to people who make a move on Mai… but eventually love won out. He hadn't caught us yet and we had done it in his bathroom a few times, man we had some fun. "What about you, Gōsuto?"

"I slept great, I was with the woman of my dreams, what else could I want?" I said as I kissed her and she melted into my arms, reciprocating my actions and more.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" I heard Rai yell as the door flew open and I saw him run at me. He grabbed me and put me in a chokehold with his magic, yelling, "Blinding Hold!" I struggled against the tentacles that held me in place and he looked at me before asking, "Is what you just said true? Do you love my sister or are you just trying to sweet talk her for sex, and yes I knew the whole time, you guys aren't exactly quiet… also you owe me some very extensive therapy sessions…"

I looked at him with a look on my face that said, 'Believe me, I'm not lying this time.' "Yes, I love Mai more than anything, I have since I met her. She's too beautiful to not fall in love with her right away." Ì said, my face full of conviction.

I looked at Mai who was smiling and had tears of joy running down her face, she ran up to her brother and smacked him on the head, "Put him down! I love him too!"

Rai looked at her and then at me and smiled, he let me down and looked at both of us, as he ssaid, "So you both love each other, huh? Ok, this I can handle, yeah that's ok I guess." He looked at me and pulled me into a bone crushing hug, "YEAH! I CAN FINALLY GET A BROTHER I CAN TALK TO! But remember, hurt her and I'll kill you, let her get hurt and I'll kill you, break her heart and you'll wish I killed you. Capisce?"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. I promise you Mai, I will never hurt you. If I do then I will personally go to Rai and make sure he kills me. Ok?" I said and looked at her with a grin plastered on my face. I looked at Rai and said, "Are Natsu and Lucy back yet? I want to know how long I can lounge around for." I then heard the lacrima buzzing and groaned, 'Am I projecting my thoughts or something here?' I turn it on and answer, "Gōsuto here."

"This is Natsu, we got Chung Fay and are on our way home. We'll be there in two hours, so be ready with Rai and your dad, it's gonna take a while to get the info. Also, have the jail prepped and dump the contents of the dimension you created to hold Lucy's magic in there. Natsu out." He said and turned off his lacrima.

"Damn, Mai I gotta go and get ready. Take care of the kids with Tsume, ok? I'll be back tonight." I said and placed a chaste kiss on her cheek.

"Wait a minute… Dude, where are your clothes?" Rai asked and I looked down and saw I was naked, as was Mai. "AHHHHH MY EYES! GET DRESSED!" He yelled, running out of the room as I looked at Mai and shrugged and kissed her again, before I went into the bathroom and got dressed.

I got out of the bathroom and left the room as Mai was already gone, and walked down to Esoj's room and knocked on his door. "Oi open up! I need your help with something!"

The door opened ad revealed Esoj there… Esoj Jr. that is. "Hey Mr. Gōsuto, if you're looking for Mom and Dad, they went down to the other part of the mansion to work on some stuff, some sort of project they said. Where's Ms. Mai? Is she taking care of me again?" He asked and I looked at him and wondered if really was five years old, he seemed much older.

"Yes, she is. And ok thank you for the information, get ready though, she is probably on her way and will be with Raito most likely." At the mention of his new friend, his face lit up and he nodded, closing the door in my face without a goodbye. 'Kids these days… no manners. Oh well.'

I walked down to the other end of the mansion and saw the couple working on creating a cavern big enough for Lumen, which made me shiver. 'Damn, that thing is super creepy, almost made me shit myself when I first saw it. And of course I still have it inside of my dimensions, so yeah, great.'

As soon as I was close enough, they saw me and Nena said, "Oh you're here. I was about to call for you, the cavern is ready now, time to put it in. We'll be here to help control its transfer. We should do it now, I hear the boss is almost back."

I nodded, shivering at the thought of releasing that thing, "You heard right, and when we're done here I need you to watch something for me, I'm leaving something in the dungeons. And I don't want it to escape." I said and began gathering the magic needed to release my hold on the dimension.

"Ok. Hurry up, we wanna get this shit done with as soon as possible, I hear this thing is creepy as fuck and this cavern was tiresome to build." Esoj said and I glared at him.

"Yes, I am. You guys ready to hold it down, it seems a bit restless." I said as I felt Lumen struggling against my hold on it. They nodded and had metal ready to use, I breathed evenly and said, "Shadow: Dimension Release!" Then the cage Lumen was in and Lumen itself appeared and I fell back, the toll on myself being great since it was so big and powerful.

The duo got to work quickly, yelling in unison, "Acero!" "Ascensor!" Suddenly more steel appeared and was quickly turned into a lift that they used to lower Lumen and its cage into the cavern carefully. I stayed on the ground, unable to move as I was thoroughly wierded out by it. 'What the fuck is that thing? And how in the world did they fucking create that?!'

They finished dropping it down and released the magic they had casted and the elements disappeared. "Ok, so to the dungeons right?" Esoj asked nervously as Nena threw the cover on the cavern and sealed it shut for the time being.

"Yeah, let's go, quickly." I said and we all left in a bit of a hurry, not wanting to stay any closer to it. We walked in silence until we reached the dungeons, where I opened a cell door and gathered my magic again, before saying, "Shadow: Dimension Release!" Whatever was in there appeared and landed with a thud, during which I checked the time and said, "Well shit. He'll be here any second now, I gotta go. So remember, don't let her leave ok?"

"Yeah, yeah. We won't, you owe us though." Esoj said as I nodded and booked it to the front of the mansion where my dad and Rai were waiting.

"Took your time. He's about to land. What took you so long?" Rai asked as he looked at me with narrow eyes.

"Had to dump Lumen in it's new home, they finished building it." I said and Rai nodded, saying nothing else.

As Igneel landed, Natsu and Lucy jumped off, Fay over Natu's shoulder. "Is the cavern done yet?" Natsu asked and I nodded, he turned to Igneel and said, "Go and guard it, please? I don't want anyone within breathing distance, heck within looking distance if you can pull that off. Just make sure no one gets close, especially anyone who can speak Spanish." Igneel nodded and flew off to where Lumen is stored.

"If you guys are ready, lets get started. I want to get rid of him as soon as possible." Lucy said and we all nodded and went off to the room we had chosen as the interrogation room, a room that was high up and had a window that if thrown out of, there was nothing to stop the fall. We walked in silence for a bit until Lucy asked, "Did you do that other thing we asked you to do?"

"Yes, it's in the dungeon, waiting for you guys to visit now. I left Esoj and Nena to watch over it." I said and Lucy nodded and leaned over to Natsu and whispered something to him. He nodded and she went off in the direction of the dungeons and immediately I understand where she is going and what she is going to do. "We're here." I said and we all stopped before dad opened the door and led us in, a single chair being the only furniture in the room.

"Ok, set him down and let's get ready. Tie him down and get out of the way. Gōsuto come here, you too Rai. Gōsuto you know what to do, as do you Rai." Dad said and we all took our positions, before starting dad said, "Natsu, if you want to see what is happening then get next to me, if not then get away from me." Natsu came close and put a hand on his shoulder, so he could see but not be harmed. "Ok, then. Let us begin. Fay, tell us what we want to know. What were you looking for and where is Zeref?!"

"HA! You think I would tell you that? I am not crazy!" Fay said and we all sighed, knowing this would take a while.

"Ok have it your way." Dad said and looked at me and we nodded and yelled in unison, "Shadow: Nightmare S!"

I watch as Fay is thrust into a dream world and is suddenly tied to a cross by an unseen force. Then a thousand masked men appeared, all of them with knives in their hands. Then one by one, they each walked up to him and stabbed him on his body, varying by the person. With each stab Fay yells out in pain, the yells getting louder and louder as time went on. When they all had stabbed him, my dad's voice called out to Fay and asked, "Had enough? Answer the questions and I'll stop."

"No. I won't say a thing." He said as he breathed heavily, his body visibly shaking but not his resolve.

"Ok, you asked for it. Here we go again." And we did, for FIVE turns, the knifemen stabbing him for what seemed to be hours to Fay, but was only a few minutes for us. "Had enough yet?"

"No… no I won't say anything." Fay said and we all sighed again.

"Ok, remember you asked for this." Dad looked at me and mouthed W, and I nodded. "Shadow: Nightmare W!" We shouted in unison and the world Fay was in changed, this time a pool of water was the only thing that was there. We watched as Fay was grabbed by the collar by an unseen force and plunged into the water, and left there for a while, before the bubbles that were his air stopped. Fay was pulled out and was not moving, then eels came out from the water and electrocuted him, nearly stopping his heart. He jolted alive and was plunged back into the water, and this happened at least ten times before dad called out to him, "You wanna talk now?"

"N-No… I will not talk... this isn't enough to stop me… yet" Fay said, mumbling the last part. I raised my eyebrow at his word choice, 'Yet? So he is close, I think.' I looked at dad and he noticed the same thing, and nodded at me, 'So what we're gonna use that nightmare? Rai will have to help with this.'

"Shadow: Nightmare R!" And suddenly we were in a dark room where Fay was on a table, lying down and unable to move. Then a scalpel came down and connected with his gut, cutting it open for him to see. He yelled out in pain and watched as the contents of his gut were removed, intestines first, followed by his stomach, and so on and so forth. 'Man I hate this nightmare, it's disgusting. But it is the most effective at getting people to talk.' As the last part of his stomach was removed, my dad called out, "You ready to talk?"

Fay breathed in and mustered his strength, "No. No."

I sighed and watched as dad said, "Ok then, get ready for this." The scalpel moved upwards and cut his chest open as he screamed out in pain, as his lungs and heart were removed. He yelled in pain and didn't stop yelling until the scalpel moved south towards his crotch and I closed my eyes for this part.

"WAIT! WAIT! I'll talk, I'll talk… Just please stop!" Fay yelled out and he had a wild look in his eyes, and I smirked as I knew that this would work.

"Ok, good boy. Now what are you looking for?"

"I'm looking for two things, one called the book of Tartarus, his book of demons. The other is called Lumen Historie, or rather where it was made." We all looked at him with eyes wide, we knew he wasn't lying, he looked too scared to lie now.

"Ok, now where is Zeref?" Dad asked.

Fay shook his head and said, "I don't know! I usually meet a guy named Mern, he works directly for Zeref and tells me what to do. I swear!" We nodded and looked at each other, as we knew this was the truth, "His full name is Mern Greer. Supposed to be Mard Greer's brother or something."

"Good boy. Now night, night." Natsu said and knocked him out. "Well, at least know we have both things he wants. I destroyed the book already and we have all the information on Lumen Historie, so that's good."

"Yeah, but we should find this Mern guy, he will lead us straight to Zeref. And the faster we find Zeref, the faster we can end this whole thing." Rai said and we all nodded in agreement.

"Ok, I'll see what my sources can turn up. But if he's relater to THE Mard Greer, then it won't be easy. He'll be way stronger than Fay was. We'll need a more precise way of capturing him" Dad said and we looked at Natsu.

"Ok, I'll let you and Igneel handle that, meanwhile I have something else to do as well. Good work guys." Natsu said and saluted us as he left the room, leaving us to absorb the information and piece it all together.

(POV Change to Natsu)

I walk over to the dungeons and check my watch, 'Wow, that only took twenty minutes, surprised he broke that quickly. They really did a number on his brain.' I walk past the rooms in the mansion until I arrive at the area designated as our dungeons. I open the door and enter, seeing Lucy hunched over whispering something.

"You break her yet?" I asked and she nodded at me, she got up and walked over to me.

"She's all your now. She is ripe for us to use." Lucy said.

I nodded and walked over to her and kneeled down, poking her side. "Hey Juvia, wake up. I need to talk to you." I waited but she didn't move, I looked back at Lucy and she shrugs. "I SAID WAKE UP! STUPID BITCH!" I yelled and kicked her a few times.

She grunted in pain and started crying, and by the sound of which wasn't the first time today. "Oi, no crying! Get up!" I yelled and she obeyed and I saw her eyes were swollen form the crying, but she had stopped for now. "Good, now are you going to help us, or do we have to convince you some?"

"Yes… I will." She responded dejectedly.

"Good. Don't forget, they stopped looking for you after only a month of searching. It's been over a year now since you disappeared, they clearly don't care about you. You are no longer a Fairy Tail mage, but a?" I said, lying to her obviously.

Juvia nodded and replied, "I am a Ronin."

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 **A/N: DUN DUN DUN!** **I AM THE EMODIMENT OF EVIL! FEAR ME! Jk, but man are they crazy or what? And that interrogation was graphic, but did no actual physical damage to Fay, just his mind. Now get ready for tomorrow, because the One-shot will be posted! SO PLEASE ENJOY AND READ AND REVIEW! ADIOS!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 38: Master Laxus

 **A/N: Hello there everyone! So the one-shot shall come tonight, but late tonight! Probably late, maybe earlier if I can write fast but we'll see. Shout out today goes to KitAlbert07 for following not just the story but me as well! Now without much else to say, ENJOY THE CHAPTER!**

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Continuing from Last Chapter (Natsu POV)

"I am a Ronin." Juvia said emotionlessly and I nodded.

"Yes, yes you are. Now say it with a smile and some conviction!" I said and looked at her, waiting for her to do so but she never did irritating me. "I said, say it with a smile and conviction! NOW!" I yelled at her causing her to flinch at my volume level.

"I AM A RONIN!" She said as she looked at me with smile, but her eyes betrayed her as they said she was feeling nothing but fear and sadness.

I sighed and said, "Listen Juvia, I know your sad right now, I would be too if my supposed family abandoned me and never even bothered to look for me very hard. But you must turn that sadness into anger! Create an insatiable thirst for revenge! You should want to see them again, especially that moronic husband of yours, so you can show them just how you feel!"

She looked at me and something clicked in her mind that we had altered, and she nodded the sadness leaving her eyes, "YES! Juvia will get her revenge! She will show that Gray who is boss!" She surprised me at how quickly she had changed, first of all her depression was over as she now spoke in third person again, and she called Gray just Gray. No Gray-sama.

I smiled and said, "Good Juvia, good. Now recite for me the motto that Lucy taught you."

She nodded and then yelled very loudly, "THOUGH WE MAY HAVE NO TRUE HOME WE ARE NEVER ALONE! THOUGH NO ONE MAY WANT US WILL DO WHAT IS NEEDED! THOUGH NO ONE MAY APPRECIATE WHAT WE DO WE WILL ALWAYS DO THE RIGHT THING! WE ARE THE FORSAKEN, THE FORGOTTEN, THE LOST, WE ARE THE RONIN! DEATH TO OUR ENEMIES AND TO THE EVER LASTING GLORY THAT AWAITS US IN THE FUTURE. LIVE! FIGHT! LIVE AND FIGHT FOREVER!" She finished with a smile and I saw that we had done a thorough job in brainwashing her.

"Ok, welcome to the Ronin Juvia. Virgo! I know you're here I can smell you. Show Juvia to her room and get her situated and give her the tour of the mansion, or as we call it 'The Castle'." I said but paused when I heard what sounded like suppressed laughter.

I looked at Lucy who was the culprit and then she burst out laughing as I deadpanned at her. "Natsu, no one call this place that! Just call it home already!"

"Luce! Let me have my fun! Back me up here and I'll let you be on top tonight!" I said and Lucy immediately shut up and nodded her head.

"Sorry, my mistake. He is correct, it is called 'The Castle'." She said seriously as Juvia sweat dropped.

"Good, now after your tour, go get a chore schedule from Kurayami and then find Esoj. You will train with him and his wife everyday until you are the necessary level to truly be considered a Ronin. You are dismissed." I said and she stood upright and saluted, then ran off with Virgo and left us alone. "I still don't get why you wanted to do this to her, I don't see the point and there is no guarantee she will ever become strong enough. There is no real gain or reward from doing this you know." I said and looked at Lucy.

"It's to get revenge on that idiot Gray. He disrespected me and went too far with his actions. He underestimated me in a battle and didn't fight me seriously. We will use Juvia to fight him the next time and have him crumble mentally as he is forced to fight the woman he loves, and that is a revenge that I can't wait to see. Don't give me that look, you know if someone did that you would want some revenge too." She said, looking at me.

"Maybe... Actually, I probably would have just killed him or her, whoever did that to me. But this is a bit much, no?" I asked and looked at her.

"Maybe, but I will not take that from anyone. No one will disrespect me. I will not allow that to happen and will do what needs to be done, and this is necessary to me. Just trust me on this one ok?" She said and looked at me and I thought about and then nodded.

"Ok, I trust you. But tonight I get to be on top, I hate being on bottom and will probably just do it anyways. Now let's get going, we have stuff to plan and people to find and beat." I said and held out my hand so she could take it.

She took it and pulled me to her real quick and kissed me passionately, I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her up so she was gripping my hips tightly. I walked us over to the door and kicked it open, and walked us down to where our room was and kicked open the door and shut it again, 'Man I love her sex drive.'

 **XXXX A While Later XXXX**

A bit later we exited the room and I was pouting, "No fair! You used your whip to tie me down so you could be on top! That was so not cool!"

"Sorry, I just really wanted to be on top for once. It doesn't end in me not being able to walk. But I promise tonight I'll do that thing you really like. I promise!" She said and I looked at her, instantly hard again and I grabbed her by the hand and tried to drag her back to the room so we could go again right now. "Not yet! Wait until tonight and you'll get it how you like it! I promise, but now we have some business to take care of first." She said and I sighed.

"Fine, but this better not take too long, I really don't want to wait any longer. Hey, uh Luce, where are we going?" I asked as she sighed.

"I knew you forgot. We're going to the meeting room because Kurayami found something about the guys Fay gave up while we were… busy. Now let's get going." She said and led us to the meeting room.

We arrived soon after and walked inside and saw Kurayami talking to someone via a lacrima and saw us enter. "Natsu come here, I have a guy here who says he knows where Mern is hiding."

"Yes, I do. Name's Karr, and I am a tracker mage like Kurayami's son was. I had been ordered to keep track of this guy by the council but I stopped reporting in since they were able to tell who I worked for. Kurayami here contacted me just when I found out where he is. But there is a catch, he's hiding from Zeref too. Apparently Zeref found out that Mern lost Fay pretty quickly and sent some guys after him. Mern killed them and has been fighting them off here and there, and now he's in hiding in a town called Inpei. It's a place where people go if they want to disappear and not be found. Luckily I did cause I'm staying in the same place he is. This information is legit, I already sent some before and after photos of Mern before he was in shit and now. It's him alright. Better hurry though I can't guarantee he'll stay too long." Karr said and I nodded.

'Hmmmm… this is oddly convenient… I'll have to be careful on this one.. "Ok, thanks for the information, keep tabs on him and I'll be there soon. I know where Inpei is and from here it should take about six hours. I'll leave now." I said and waved goodbye, turning off the lacrima. "Ok, Rai, Lucy, and Gōsuto, your with me. Kurayami your in charge here, hopefully we won't need to interrogate him but just in case, get ready. Esoj, Juvia, and Nena, keep doing what you were doing. Make sure she gets stronger, ok Esoj?" Everyone nodded and saluted. "Ok, break!" I said.

Everyone relaxed before saying the motto, a tradition when we do plans as risky as this, "THOUGH WE MAY HAVE NO TRUE HOME WE ARE NEVER ALONE! THOUGH NO ONE MAY WANT US WILL DO WHAT IS NEEDED! THOUGH NO ONE MAY APPRECIATE WHAT WE DO WE WILL ALWAYS DO THE RIGHT THING! WE ARE THE FORSAKEN, THE FORGOTTEN, THE LOST, WE ARE THE RONIN! DEATH TO OUR ENEMIES AND TO THE EVER LASTING GLORY THAT AWAITS US IN THE FUTURE. LIVE! FIGHT! LIVE AND FIGHT FOREVER!" And with that, we all left and went our separate ways, hopefully so that we can come back and meet up here again, like a family always does.

(POV Change to Laxus, the day that Gray woke up)

I wake up to a massive commotion from the room next door and I hear a crash and someone crying, "So, I guess someone just found out someone died." I said as I sat up.

"Whoa there sparky. Take it easy. And we're even by the way, sparky." Olive said as she made me lay back down again.

"Even? What did you owe me? Or did I owe you something." I asked and looked at her.

"From our wedding day, when I made you think I had left you. You fucking idiot, you almost died and made me worry for nothing! Come on, how could you do that to me?" She said and I couldn't help but chuckle lightly at her shaking my head. "Oh, and where is Jiji? I haven't seen him yet, although I have spent the entire time holed up in here, and it's been seven days now, yes you were unconscious for a whole week."

I looked at her and saw she really had no clue what had happened. I looked away and felt tears stinging my eyes, before I said very quickly and quietly, almost a whisper that no one could have heard, "Jiji was killed."

"What? What did you say and what's wrong Laxus? Why won't you look me in the eye? What happened?" She asked and I finally felt my restraint on the tears break.

"HE DIED OK! HE WAS KILLED BY THAT BASTARD NATSU! I… I could only watch as he was killed by one of the many people he considered his surrogate sons… and I COULD ONLY STAND THERE AND LET HIM DO IT!" I yelled as the tears were flowing freely now, Olive saw this and slapped me.

"Are you sure that this is the Laxus that married me? Are you sure this the Laxus that made me fall madly in love with him? No, this is a Laxus who is being a little whiny bitch." She said and I stared at her. "The Laxus I know would not just cry and complain, sure he would be sad for the loss of his Jiji, the man he truly considered his real father. But he would use it as motivation, already planning how to get back and avenge him. Not whine and complain about being useless. Now which Laxus are you? Are you wittle Waxus, the baby? Or are you Laxus Dreyar? Master of Fairy Tail and the true Ace of this guild!" She asked annoyed and I looked at her.

'Wow, I never thought about like that. She's right! I am being a whiny bitch right now. I will mourn of course, but I must be strong! I will become stronger and I will get my revenge! Natsu Dragneel, you will be defeated, and I will then truly have earned my title as master.' "You're right, my name is LAXUS DREYAR! MASTER OF FAIRY TAIL! And my target will be the head of Natsu Dragneel." I said and gnashed my teeth at the sound of his name.

"Good, now change Maks' diaper, I've been doing it all week and it's your turn now." She said smiling at me. "And there is no escaping it, you owe me for everything that's happened. Now hurry up and change his diaper so we can start the morning process and get the funerals done. Come on, chop chop."

I sighed and stood up and looked around and saw Maks lying down fidgeting on a makeshift bed for him. 'Great, it's gonna be messy. He's lucky I love him more than life itself.' I changed his diaper and looked up when I was done and just burned the dirty one. I sighed at finally being done and watched Maks fall asleep, finally clean and able to rest. Then he surprised me by opening his eyes momentarily and saying as if in a question, "Jiji?"

Olive had gotten up and was now standing next to me, and I looked at her wide eyed. She didn't look up however and instead I heard her begin to cry, and then came the tears n droves. I soon was crying myself, thinking to myself, 'He never even got a chance to really meet Jiji, and now he's never going to have one. Jiji…'

I began crying freely as Olive grabbed me and hugged my torso, barely making it to my chest. I hugged her back and cried even louder than before, loud enough for Porylusica to hear me apparently. "Master Laxus, I will watch the child, go and join the others outside. Your Raijinshū are waiting for their king and queen, their words not mine." She looked at us and nodded, as if encouraging us to leave so we can begin the healing process. I flinched slightly at her use of master but didn't correct her, as it really was my title now.

"Ok, thank you very much." I said quickly in between my sobs, trying to compose myself. I grabbed Olive's hand and walked out the door and saw that the upper level was now a hospital. I looked downstairs and saw everyone waiting for us and I walked down there, doing my job. "Hello everyone." I said and everyone looked at me. "Thank you for coming here and offering your condolences to Olive and I. And we graciously accept them, and there will be a funeral soon, as soon as everyone is able to do so. But after that, we must prepare for our chance at revenge. We will have one whole to prepare, so we must take advantage of it! Those we once considered nakama have forgotten what that word means, as have we for a time. But now, now I think we remember what it means again. It means that the person standing next to you is not just a guild member but a brother, a sister, a family member! We are a family here, and we will prove it! They have killed some of our family, and we must not stand for it! We will rise up again and remind them just who Fairy Tail is!" I said and the guild broke out into a deafening cheer, clearly awoken form their stupor they had been in since the Natsu incident first occurred, 'Huh that was easy enough. Natsu, you have caused this guild a lot of pain, as have others who lied to us, but you have caused a great deal of the pain, and you must take the lion's share of the responsibility. An eye for an eye does not make the world go blind, just one person. That person will be you Natsu.'

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 **A/N: Whew, I'm done! That was fun to write and Lucy really is pure evil now! But hey so is Natsu so it all balances out. I guess. So, I was wondering, do you guys want the one-shot today or tomorrow? I could post it really late tonight or just post it kind of early tomorrow, but it's up to you guys! If I don't get any responses it will go up tonight, but that will mean late at night so it really is up to when you guys want to read it. Any who, please remember, READ AND REVIEW! ADIOS!**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 39: When I say Hello, You Say Goodbye

 **A/N: Hello people! We have hit the thirty followers mark (Pops the confetti and turns up the celcbration music)! Welcome saracresp to our family of followers and I also thank you for your review, as well as a welcome and shout out to tigress808. And to sashaXmafuyuFOREVER, a devoted reader, thanks for you review and yes you are correct Natsu is a horn dog. Enjoy the chapter my friends/acquaintances/strangers/awesome readers.**

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Same Day (POV Change to Natsu)

"There it is, Inpei. The city with the highest concentration of criminals in all of Fiore. It's ugly as shit." I said as we neared the city, it was a dull gray, the entire place wass gray anywhere you looked, it's like looking at a wall in a jail cell. But it also was my home for a year when I was hiding from everyone, and it's where Lucy found me so it holds special place in my heart. As we landed, Lucy and I hopped off of Igneel's back, while Rai and Gōsuto appeared from the latter's shadow dimension. "Ok everyone, get close to me so I can go over the plan." I said and they did as instructed, "Right, Luce you get underneath me while I…"

I was smacked on the head as Lucy blushed and yelled, "THE BATTLE PLAN BAKA!"

"Oh yeah. Sorry…" I said scratching my head as everyone sweat dropped, "Right, Rai and Gōsuto, you two will go and secure the city and do some recon to see if anyone else is here looking for him. You see any demons; you kill them no questions asked. And no, Gōsuto does not count. Igneel you do a fly over of the city and make sure there is no massive magical enforcement force coming. You see anything like that and you light the signal, Gōsuto if you or Rai see that signal you let me know via lacrima. Luce you're with me, we need to find Karr quickly and then find Mern. Once we do, we get out of here, I'll light the signal and Igneel, you come straight to us, Gōsuto and Rai you too I don't to waste any time here. Got it? Good let's go."

We all split into our groups like the professionals we were and headed off to do our jobs. Lucy followed my lead as I knew the city very well and Karr had given us his location before we landed, some three hours ago. We walk quickly and boldly, knowing our cloaks bought us secrecy and fear as everyone knew the cloak of the Ronin by now. We walked and people would move, terrified by the renown the cloaks brought, and the understanding of what that meant. Shit was going down, and it was best just to get out of the way.

We arrived at Karr's location and saw him waiting for us outside, "Mern is in here. Hurry I'm hearing something is coming, and it's a lot of somethings apparently."

"Zeref's demons?" I asked as I looked at him and then at Lucy, "Or Magic enforcement?"

"No clue, just got word of it, my sources are working on giving me the rest of the information. We better hurry." Karr said and I nodded and opened the door to the building.

I enter and look around and see the stairs, "Which floor?"

"Third." Karr said and I ran up the stairs as fast as I could with Lucy hot on my tail, Karr a bit further back but still right with us.

We made it to the third floor and I asked, "Room number?"

"B-52. It's on the left, three doors from the end." Karr said and I was at the door in a moment, Lucy there just after me and Karr a second later.

I looked at them and nodded, they all nodded and Lucy grabbed her whip while Karr built up some magic. I held up my hand and counted down to three with my fingers and when I reached zero, I busted the door open. I look and saw Mern who was up now and ready to fight, but I held up my hand and said, "Wait. You are in trouble as far as I know. We are willing to help, but we need you to come with us and help us out as well."

"Why should I believe you guys? You guys got me into this mess, and now you want to help? How do I know you won't just stab me in the back when I'm not looking?" Mern said and looked at us, knowing just exactly who we were.

"Because you don't want to have Zeref find you, and because I can promise you safety and a chance at revenge. He used you like a tool then threw you away when you failed just once, that would make any man angry and thirsty for revenge. Am I right, or no? I'm right huh?" I said and looked at him as he pondered my logic.

He finished his reverie and looked at me, "Alright, yeah you are right. I'll trust you on this one, but don't expect it to be easy to get me out of here. Zeref knows how much I know and wants me dead… when he wants someone dead they usually end up dead."

"Don't worry, we won't let that happen. I already have my men combing the city for anyone suspicious or for any demons, so if they are here we will kill them. Now let's get going so we can leave." I said and Mern nodded, so we all filed out of the room quickly and booked it out of there. We got outside and looked around and saw Igneel flying up, giving us the signal that magic enforcement was here. "Shit. There here, quick Gōsuto! I know your nearby now, what the situation look like?"

Gōsuto popped out of the shadows and said, "Igneel can't reach us, they set up runes and he can't get to us. We'll have to fight our way out."

"YOOOOSSSHHH! I'm all fired up! Remember the last time we had to fight them Luce? That was a lot of fun!" I said and chuckled, as did Lucy.

"Yeah, that was the last time I had to go all out, so this should be fun!" She said and Mern and Karr sweat dropped.

"Hey, we're here too you know! There will be no need to go all out, heck Rai and me would be enough." Gōsuto said as Rai nodded.

"I may not know you guys very well, but Kurayami does and said to trust you guys, so I will. You can count on me." Karr said and we nodded at him.

"I'll fight as well, I know I need a good work out." Mern said and we nodded at him as well.

"Ok, where are they?" I asked Gōsuto and looked around.

"Oh they surrounded us while we were talking, they're everywhere." Gōsuto said and we all deadpanned at him.

"WELL THEN WHY THE FUCK DIDN'T YOU SAY SOMETHING?!" We all yelled and he shrugged, I sighed and said, "Whatever, just kick their asses so we can go home. Charge!"

We all cheered and went off in six directions, beginning our attack. I arrived at my group, fists ablaze and I immediately launch my attack, "Fire Dragon's Roar!" My roar shoots out flames and several of them are blown away by the force of the attack and others are crushed by those who were sent flying. I then get close to some more and I yell, "Fire Dragon's Fire Wave!" A massive wall of flame shoots out from my hand and engulf the enemy, setting them ablaze with fire that, while hot, will not burn them alive. I point my hands like pistols at another cluster of them and yell, "Fire Dragon's Machine Gun!" Flames start shooting out of my fingers at lightning speed, hitting that side of the group I had taken and that side was soon almost completely gone. I blew my fingers out like I would a gun after firing it.

Then I sensed a few try and sneak up on me and I spin on them and yell, "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist." It sent them flying, and they crash into some other of their fellow soldiers that were about to charge. I jump to the side and evade a projectile of sorts and it crashes into some other soldiers knocking them back a bit. I turn and see the culprit and charge at that general area and hold out my fists again, "Fire Dragon's Cannon!" A large ball of fire shoots out of my hands and like a cannonball hit the target and explodes, sending them all flying. I look over my shoulder and see that there is only a handful left so I yell at them, "Surrender and I won't hurt you!"

They looked at each other and threw down their weapons and laid down on their stomachs, hands on their heads. I looked around and saw that everyone else was finishing up as well, no one really hurt or even tired. "Natsu Dragneel, we meet again." I heard someone say and I look around, and saw Lahar standing there.

"Ah, Lahar. Man you look like shit, what just wake up or something? Tell me when did they let you out of the hospital? I heard you were still in there as of last week, and we fought over three years ago." I said mockingly as Lucy soon joined me a moment later. Then the other four all arrived and I looked around saw no one else standing. "Looks like it's just you Lahar, so you gonna fight or just give up? I would suggest the latter, seeing as we defeated your entire force in less than… Fifteen minutes."

"I will never surrender! I was in that hospital ever since then, now I will fight…" He never finished his defiance as I simply released all my magical power and suffocated him until he was unconscious.

"Pathetic, all I did was show him the gap between us, come on. Let's go, I'm bored now." I said and saw as everyone but Lucy was a bit shocked by my power, trying to comprehend just how big the gap was for them. Lucy didn't have a reaction, as she was close to me in power, not quite the same but close. Closest I have ever seen.

They regained their composure and nodded, Mern saying, "Yeah you could fight Zeref if necessary. When the time comes, I mean. Yeah, you will fight with him, he won't just let you do as you please for much longer. But that is what you want, right?"

"Yeah, yeah it is. Now come on, we have shit to do. Karr, you're welcome to join us if you want, we could always use trackers in our line of work." I said and looked at Karr as I saw Igneel coming down as the runes were gone now.

"Well I can't go back now, they will know I helped you guys so I have nothing else to do. I may be older but I still got some kick in me." Karr said and I nodded as Igneel landed.

"Well then, Mern and Karr, welcome to the Ronin!" I said and welcomed them, saying hello once more to some new members.

(Gray POV)

I wake up again and my head feels like a train hit it, repeatedly. 'Goddamn Erza. She is a fucking monster. Ow.' I look around and see no else in the room and the only thing I see is… 'Juvia…' Juvia's hat is next to me and I reach over and grab it, pulling it close to myself and my chest. I clutch it tightly and begin crying, which soon there after turn into full blown sobbing on my part.

"Gray…" I heard a gruff and angry sounding voice and I already know who it is.

"Gajeel." I say and look to the door seeing the man who, while he sounded angry looked more sad than anything. I wipe my eyes, or at least try to but that would mean losing my vice grip on Juvia's hat and that wasn't happening. "What do you want?"

He sighed and closed the door and sat down in a chair he pulled up, "I'm not here to yell or fight you. I'm here to talk to you, man to man." I looked at him in disbelief and he noticed, "What don't believe me? Well fuck you. I came here of my own decision, Levy didn't send me here, nor did master, er Laxus."

I was confused but answered, "Ok… what do you want?"

"First, put down the hat man, you look absolutely pathetic like this." He said and I clutched the hat even tighter, and shook my head furiously not wanting to lose the comfort it gave me. "Ok, never mind. Too early for that I guess. But Gray, you do need to at least tell me, what are you going to do about this entire situation."

I looked at him now thoroughly and utterly shocked, 'Why does he even care? He usually says something to me and then we start fighting each other, we don't have serious, adult level conversations like this. Ever.' I kept looking at him and then realize, 'But he does have a point. I mat have been unconscious for a while, but I should have been able to figure out what I plan to do just from thinking about it, right?'

"I'll take your silence as you haven't figured it out yet. Well when you do let me know. What you should know is how everyone else faired, in their fights I mean." He said and I nodded suddenly interested and hoping that only we lost, wishful thinking. "We were crushed, totally and completely crushed. Every battle ended in defeat for us, Erza and Jellal lost to that shadow creep, the one who hurt Wendy and has now officially broken her mind. She is now scared of shadows and yells at them whenever she sees one. Jura and Lyon lost, but perhaps Jura was the closest to winning, other than maybe Warrod. Jura had his back broken in a few places but he's fine now, but Lyon is not. He was hit by lava created by the enemy, it hit him in the face and did some serious damage. His face is now ugly as fuck, scarred and charred, he looks like a mummy or something, scares the shit out of everyone." When he told me about Lyon my heart nearly broke again, but couldn't as it was already broken. "Warrod… he didn't make it. He was killed by his ex pupil as he attempted to kill him himself, according to him at least. He is now able to appear as a ghost like Mavis, and… well and Master Makarov. Yes, unfortunately Natsu was too much for us. He had us on the ropes and master was forced to try and use Fairy Law. Natsu knew if he let master use it he would die and so was forced to kill him, or lose the battle. Laxus is officially the master now, seeing as you and you're attempted escape woke him up…"

I realized he had stopped because I had begun crying again, and felt my heart completely in shambles now. He sighed and continued, "Ok, I'll be quick now. Mira, Elfman, Richard, and Cobra came out unscathed, but Cana had her arm completely destroyed and has been forced to retire as a mage. At least from fighting." He said and looked at me, as I had stopped crying more or less now as I attempted to not totally lose my pride. He stood up and put a hand on my shoulder, "I'll leave you now, just know this. I was angry at you before, but I got over it as I remembered just how close to family Juvia was, meaning that by default, so are you now. I forgive you, now forgive yourself."

He left and closed the door leaving me to think about all that he said. 'So much happened… Master is dead as is Warrod, both people that I respected, but master is a shocker. I knew Natsu wasn't afraid of killing people anymore, not after Lisanna. But to kill the man who helped raise him? I never thought I would hear myself say this, but Natsu Dragneel is a serious threat to Fairy Tail. So is Lucy now, man this whole thing is fucked up. Not even a week ago and I still considered Lucy a nakama, a sister, someone I can trust and confide in. But now, now I truly do believe she is an enemy and if I fought with her again, I would actually kill her… Yes, that's what I'm going to do, but I can't let anyone know, they wouldn't let me fight her if they knew. But yes that is what I will do, I WILL KILL LUCY HEARTIPHILIA.' I sat up after a while and then stood up slowly, putting on some clothes as I had somehow stripped and left the clothes under the sheets. I walked to the door and looked at the one piece of clothing I had not discarded and knew I never would, Juvia's hat. I gripped it tightly and opened the door and walked outside, looking for Gajeel so we could talk again, the answer to his question ready, 'Time to say goodbye Lucy.'

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 **A/N: AND FIN! For today at least. Well that was fun! I loved how Natsu just made an entire battalion of hardened warriors look like they were just practice dummies, Lol. And Gray is definitely now the same anymore, he's a lot darker now. I LOVE IT! AHHHH! I hope you liked it and remember, READ AND REVIEW! ADIOS!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 40: Two Lines Means…

 **A/N: Hello there everyone! I won't bore you with pleasantries, just a quick shout out to codevivi for the follow, and to sashaXmafuyuFOREVER and brucie86 for the review! Now enjoy chapter 40!**

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Three Days Later (Lucy POV)

I sigh as I wake up and look over to see Natsu not there, but instead a note saying, _'Lucy, went with Mern to scout a possible location Zeref might be at. You are in charge Make sure Juvia's training and transition into Ronin is still smooth. Love you and be back tomorrow. –Natsu'._ 'That's right, Zeref is always moving apparently and has a lot of places he likes to stay at. He kills everything he touches if stays too long at any one place, so he always moves. This is gonna take a while to find him, but oh well. At least me and Natsu will get some time together. Maybe a full week together for once! AH! That would make me so happy!'

I smile at his considerate note and stretch a bit, 'Well, now I have to figure out how to spend my… BATHROOM!' I felt my stomach ready to come flying up and out my mouth, so I ran to the bathroom and did just that. 'What's wrong with me? I have been throwing up every morning since we got back from Inpei, but I don't feel like I have a stomach flu. So what could it be?' I think on it some more as Virgo appears from her new room, the one across from mine. Virgo now lives out here full time as it doesn't really drain my magic too much and is very useful. She does go back once a week as she misses the others, but she is adjusting to being human almost very well.

"Princess, are you alright? You have been vomiting in the mornings a lot. But strangely only in the mornings…" She said and we both looked at each other wide eyed.

"No… no way, I would be able to tell right?" I asked Virgo and she shrugged, then as if something hit her she ran out the door and the room was silent a moment. She returned a moment later with a still half asleep Nena in tow and I realized her logic. "Good call Virgo! Nena, I need your help, I have been vomiting every morning now since I left Inpei, do you think it could be…"

Her eyes went wide and she was now fully awake, "Maybe. Let's go to the clinic and make sure it is though. Magic makes things funky sometimes and can make weird things happen. Come on, I'll leave Esoj to train Juvia today, who by the way is much stronger than I originally thought she was. She'll be ready in about three months. I think. So long as she trains everyday." I was surprised by her report as Juvia didn't seem that far along, but was pleased none the less.

"Good, the faster we can have her fully ready to be a Ronin, the better. We could use her and her magic to help us make missions easier. How is her mental state? Is she holding up or does she have break downs?" I asked as we walked to the clinic which was close by.

"No, she has been good so far. Not even one tear or sad face, which I think is alarming in of itself. She should be a little sad no? We did tell her that her friends, family, and husband never really looked for her, but its as if she has no feelings about it." Nena said as I smiled slightly.

"A little bit, but she was always an odd one. I mean she stalked Fullbuster forever before he finally gave her a chance. Maybe the lies and fake memories we implanted worked too well. Either way it works for me, given how she gets her training could only take a month." I said and Nena nodded as we arrived at the clinic.

"Hello there! Welcome to Naito General Hospital, how can we help you?... OH! Mrs. Dragneel! What brings you here?" The clerk asked as she knew me and Natsu well now, since Natsu burned me on accident part of the hazard f being married to a man who was reckless when in battle. And my recklessness too if I'm being honest.

"Ummm, I need to buy THAT kind of test, and see a doctor right away." I said as her eyes lit up and she nodded. We were all quickly whisked away and into a room, as they knew just exactly who we were and wanted us to not be mad at them. A doctor came in soon after and I was quickly given the test and was forced to wait. Though not very long as the doctor came back, a smile on her face as she looked at me.

"Well Mrs. Dragneel, the test was positive! Now we should discuss all the appointments you'll need to make and what not, ok?" The doctor said and I nodded on instinct, I was too shocked to actually react properly. She had handed me the test now and it had two bars which means…

The doctor said a lot of information that just kind of flew over my head, luckily Virgo was there and had all the information stored in that mind of hers already. We left the clinic and headed home in a happy silence, we all were excited but I was also scared now. "Guys, what time is it?" I asked as I looked up and saw it was later than I had thought, as the sky was getting darker.

"Wow, it's six o'clock already. Luckily I contacted Esoj and let him know where we were, so no one is wondering. He should still be training with Juvia as he won't stop until dinner time. He won't move unless he smells food, the man eats like a horde of pigs, never stopping and is voracious when he eats." Nena said and I nodded, my head clearing up and the information finally making its way into my mind.

I smiled brightly and I kept the smile on until we got home and we're surprised to see Natsu and Mern back already. "What happened? I thought you wouldn't be back until later, did something go wrong?" I asked as Natsu and I saw each other and smiled brightly at the other.

"No, just a dead end. Well I mean he did destroy the entire place, and all the plants are dead, but we ran into no resistance, which is good. But he did kill and destroy an entire city… so yeah there is that fact." He said and I stared at him wide eyed.

"He destroyed an entire city? Wow, he must have been mad about something. Probably us. So Hargeon is gone now?" I asked and did feel sad that the place where we first met is gone now.

"Yeah… He is gonna pay now for destroying such an important place to us. He will pay dearly." Natsu said with anger in his voice and I hugged him as he remembered just how important Hargeon was to our history. Our story. Our life. He pulled back and kissed my forehead and smiled at me, "So what did you do today? Sorry I left so quickly, but Mern wanted to leave early."

"It's fine, I actually needed to talk to you about something. Can we talk in private please?" I asked and he looked at me confused, but nodded none the less and I led him away. We reached our room and I led us inside and sat him down, sighing I looked at him and said, "Natsu, you know how I have been getting sick in the morning lately, right?"

"Yes, I was actually getting worried, did you get sick again this morning?" He asked and I nodded.

"Yes, and so Virgo, Nena, and I went to the clinic to see why. We went and I was seen rather quickly and then I was given some rather great news. Natsu I have something amazing to tell you!" I said and put my hand on my stomach.

"No way… Are you serious?!" He said standing up and smiling his usual smile at me, as my heart fluttered at his happiness. I nodded and he jumped in glee and brought me into a hug that showed me how happy he was and how much he loved me.

"So I guess you figured it out huh? Well now, perceptive are we?" I said and he laughed and just kissed me instead. We stayed like that and kept the kiss going for what seemed like forever as we shared with each other just how much we loved each other. We only broke apart to breathe, and occasionally move closer to the bed. Eventually we stopped and just tapped our foreheads together and stood there for a good minute, then two and then an hour had somehow passed. The only reason we even noticed that was because Natsu smelled the food and his stomach grumbled. "Hungry are we?" I asked as I laughed at his stomach, it was like it had its own personality and mind.

"Yes, now let's go eat, I'm hungry." He said and took my hand and led me to the dining room, and he led me slowly as our arms were intertwined and we looked like a true married couple. I smiled at the thought and he looked at me smiling, "So, we should probably tell them about it and discuss our options now. A lot is going to change now you know." He said and I sighed as he was right.

"Together, we'll tell them together. Like we always do things, we'll do it together. Ok?" I said and he smiled back at me, his smile getting even bigger.

"Yeah, let's do it! YOOSSHH! I'm all fired up! Let's go! Come on! Hop on!" He said as he turned his back to me and wanted me to hop on his back so he could give me a piggy back ride. I laughed at his actions and nodded, jumping on his back and he turned towards the dining room and sped off towards it at his max speed.

We were both laughing the entire way and reached the room soon thereafter, entering as the door was already open. Everyone was already gathered and they looked at us like we were crazy, which we are. "Hey everyone how are we? Have fun with me gone all day?" Natsu asked and they all just smiled at him and sighed.

"Yeah, not as annoying or as much as a fire hazard. We actually felt safe here for once." Esoj said and we all laughed, except for Natsu who was pouting now.

"Hey I'm not that big of a fire hazard…" He started but was cut off.

"Yes you are. The fire department had to move its house to be right next door to us and has a new code just for you. THEY ADDED A WHOLE NEW CODE FOR YOU!" Kurayami yelled and smacked Natsu on the head, "Honestly, control your magic, you're probably a top five mage in terms of strength throughout history and yet you can't keep your magic in check. Dear gods help us if you ever went clinically insane, no one would survive your rampages." He finished and shook his head at Natsu in disappointment.

"Oh, come on. You know it's fun! What's life without some craziness?" He said rubbing his head.

"Boring." Kurayami said and everyone laughed at the banter.

"Ok, ok, settle down now. Who's hungry? I made enough takoyaki to feed all of Crocus so I hope you like it!" Tsume said with Virgo nodding behind her and Yuko, Kurayami's wife, nodded her head.

"They are very good, trust us. We made them with love and the best seafood in town. They taste amazing!" Yuko said and we all nodded and sat down around the table as Rai and Esoj placed the food on the already set table.

"ITADAKIMASU!" We all yelled and dug in.

We ate in silence for a while before Natsu asked Esoj, "So how's Juvia's training going?"

"It's going well, she is much stronger than I thought. She will be ready in a month and a half, so Nena says." He said and everyone cheered at the progress Juvia had made, genuinely excited to make her a full member of our family. She smiled and nodded her head in thanks at the kind words and we kept eating.

We ate until everything was gone and dessert was being brought out by Virgo and Tsume. I stood as they re-entered and so did Natsu, who said, "Everyone we have a huge announcement!"

Everyone looked at us, waiting to hear our news, "Well everyone… guess what?" I said and everyone thought for a moment.

"YOU'RE PREGENANT!" They all said happily and I looked at them dumbfounded at how they already knew this.

Nena smiled and said, "Sorry to ruin your surprise, but they were all dying to know."

I smiled and said, "It's ok, so yeah, I'm pregnant!" Everyone cheered and stood, hugging me and Natsu, offering us congratulations and advice, even Juvia who seemed very happy at the news. 'You know what? I like this family better than my other ones, yeah these guys are simply the best. Maybe I could make our home with these people, maybe we could make this purpose we all share into something permanent.' As I came to that realization it made me happy, knowing that I could actually have the dream family I always wanted.

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 **A/N: Whew, surprise! All that sex and sperm finally did it! She is officially pregnant. Well I hope you like the twist and the happiness that ensued! Well that's all so remember, READ AND REVIEW! ADIOS!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 41: Twin Sabers No More

 **A/N: Hello there everyone! You know what? We're already at the forty chapter mark! Well forty one, but you know. I'm not quite sure how much longer this story will last as I still cannot see the finish line, so yeah. This story will at least see fifteen chapters more, at least. I'm just flowing with ideas but I don't it to drag on forever, so yeah that is where I am at. Shout outs today go to the regular reviewers in brucie86 and sashaXmafuyuFOREVER, you guys are simple amazing! Enjoy chapter forty one!**

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Next Day (Natsu POV)

I walked through the mansion and soon arrived to the meeting room, where Kurayami, Esoj, Nena, and Gōsuto were waiting. Lucy was walking with me and we walked to our seats around the table, just like we used to when we first formed Ronin. "Ok, we're here, so let's get this meeting started. First order of business is?" I asked and Gōsuto stood up.

"The rankings for all the new members. We have four new members raising our number to nine, which while an odd number is fine as one of them can just have no partner. My suggestion for the order would be: Rai, Mern, Karr, and then Juvia." Gōsuto said and looked at everyone.

"Bullshit ranking, you just think Rai is strong so you ranked him higher. That was completely biased, here's how it should go: Mern, Rai, Karr, then Juvia. For now, give me some more time and she should be around six or seven, she has that much potential. May even crack the top five if she works hard enough." Esoj said standing up as well to look Gōsuto in the eye.

"I don't know, I can't have to agree with either of you. Mern and Rai are about equal in strength. If they fought ten times, each would win five times. I would suggest both Mern and Rai get six, let one be six a, and the other six b. And I'm not convinced of Karr, I would already put Juvia ahead of him." Nena said as she looked at everyone from her seat.

"I agree with her as well, I know Karr and he is getting long in the tooth, Juvia is twenty eight. Barely less than half his age and in her true prime. I second Nena's ranking." Kurayami said.

"I third her ranking. But I do agree with Esoj's belief of Juvia's potential, she could crack the top five soon enough. Just give her time and keep training her." Lucy said.

"Ok, then we accept Nena's ranking, but back to something Gōsuto said about not everyone having a partner and having nine mages, that is actually not totally true. Luce is pregnant now, and I will not have her risking the life of my child on missions. So until the baby is born, Luce is off of active duty. She will act as co-mission coordinator along with Kurayami." I said and everyone nodded in understanding except for Lucy.

"Natsu, come on don't do this! I wanna still be able to do stuff too! Come on please!" She begged me, giving me her usual pout, but I wasn't budging.

"Not a chance, Luce think of the baby. I don't want you to, let's say hypothetically speaking, you get struck by lightning and it kills the baby on accident. It's not just your life anymore, it's the life of our baby too." I retorted and she sighed nodding, she knew this battle was one she couldn't win. "Good, now anything else we need to discuss?"

"Yes, master Natsu. There is a guest here who has just arrived saying he knows you and that he needs to speak to you. He looks familiar and is with a cat that is dressed in a frog suit… now why is that so familiar sounding?" Virgo said as she barged in on our closed door meeting.

"VIRGO! What did I say? Boundaries! A closed door meeting is meant to be a closed door, private, only invited members only!" Lucy yelled and was shaking her head. "Wait, a guy with a cat with a frog suit?"

"No it's ok, I know who it is. Gōsuto get everyone else ready, defensive positions. Esoj and Nena, you're with me, Luce you stay here and coordinate with Kurayami. Understood?" I asked and everyone nodded, "Good now go." I said very seriously and everyone knew something was wrong, so they ran off and did as they were ordered. I walked to the front entrance and did so briskly as I wanted to know exactly he was here and how he found us.

We arrived at the door and I waited until I could hear Esoj and Nena were right next to the door, ready to strike if needed. I nodded to both of them and opened the door, and saw only Rogue Cheney and his exceed Frosch standing there. Both looked battered and tired, like they had travelled a great distance to arrive here. "Rogue, why are you here?" I asked and looked him over to see he had a lot of injuries and looked as if he was ready to drop then and there, "How did you find us? And where is your butt buddy Sting?"

"Natsu-san. I have travelled all the way from Oak Town to come here and ask for your help…" He said and as he finished he fell over and was unconscious.

"Rogue! Frosch thinks he needs help. Frosch thinks so too!" Frosch yelled out and I looked around.

"What no Sabertooth army here with you? No Sting, Rufus, Obra, or Yukino?" I asked and was surprised to see him shake his head. "Hmmm, Gōsuto! Stand down! Luce and Juvia! Take Rogue to the clinic, everyone else check out the area and see if they are any guild mages around. You see any, you kill them no questions asked. Especially any blonde ones, that guy is annoying as fuck. Alright, disperse! Go, and find something out, Luce! Wait a moment and call your spirits to find out where Yukino is." She nodded and pulled out her keys and started concentrating, using the keys as a medium to talk to them.

She stopped and shrugged, "Not here, back in Oak town. Well actually in transit to Magnolia for the funerals… Odd, he might actually be here of his own volition. Wait, check for a guild mark." So I did and I didn't find one, which caused me to furrow my brow and Lucy to whisper, "What's going on? Did he turn like he did in the future?"

"No, he wouldn't have Frosch if he did. I'm guessing something happened between him and Sabertooth. Let's get him to the clinic and we'll go from there." I said and Lucy nodded.

"Wait, Juvia thinks he is simply dehydrated. Allow Juvia to give him some water and see how he feels." Juvia said and we nodded, she gave him some of her magical water and waited.

He woke up about ten minutes later and looked around before saying, "Water." We all laughed and Juvia gave him more water, which he quickly drank and drank a lot of it. He finished drinking and looked at us gathered there and said, "Natsu-san, it's as I said, I need your help. Sting and I…had a falling out. I left the guild and wandered for a while until I heard that Ronin was lead by you, then I let the shadows of my magic lead me here."

"What happened? Seems a bit fishy how you just suddenly left, and somehow found us using your magic. I don't like that answer. Now tell me why I should change my belief of your answer." I said and crossed my arms and got close to his face so I could intimidate him.

He stood up and sighed, saying, "It is very true. You see, he and Yukino have become a thing, finally. But I wasn't fully aware so I tried asking her out in front of him, big mistake. He was furious and we had a fight, then he said that he knew I was after Yukino, which I wasn't I just wanted to hang out more than anything. But we fought and we were broken up and I thought that something was off, so I stayed away for a few days. When I came back I apologized and he accepted it and I thought that was the end of it but it wasn't. Lector was mad too and insulted Frosch very harshly and made him sad, said I was a bad guy and that the only reason he took care of me was because I felt bad. Which is not true, I took him in because I love him like a little brother. So Frosch told me and I told Sting to make Lector apologize but he said no, said that he didn't think he did anything wrong. That was when I had had it, and I challenged him to a duel for our honor, and I lost. Barely, but I lost. So I as I had no honor, I left and quit the guild and wandered all around, trying to find a place to stay, but I left three months ago. Sting kept it quiet and just said I was off on an S-class mission, and I thought I was never going to find a new place to call home. But then you made yourselves known. I was in Hargeon and heard all about how you guys were able to defeat Fairy Tail and I wanted to join you guys. As for how I found you, I eat shadows and am able to travel in them, and I knew that you had a shadow mage. So using my shadows, I traced the source of the shadow magic and found myself here. Believe me or not, this is the truth." He finished his story as the others returned and reported in, they had not found any mages from Sabertooth.

"Well it looks like your story is legit. I have a hunch of just how strong you were, but I don't know about it now, so here is a test for you. I want you to release all of your magical power and see just how strong you really are." I said and he nodded. He stood upright and focused for a moment before releasing all of his magical power and I was a bit taken aback. He was strong alright, but he had lost to Sting. 'Just how strong is Sting then? Eh, it won't matter, as long as I fight Laxus we should be fine here. But let's see just how much he really wants to leave Sabertooth.' "Luce, bring out the prisoner we have been keeping here."

She nodded and ran off, everyone but Rogue knowing who it was, 'This should be good! He definitely won't see this coming.' Lucy returned a minute later with a female who had a bag on her head and was struggling to get free. Lucy pulled the bag off of her head and threw her down in front of Rogue who just looked blankly at her, totally surprised. "Minerva, so this is where you have been." He said and just kept looking at her, not moving at all.

"Yes, as she is a demon now, I found her committing crimes in Inpei that were all for Zeref. I captured her and kept her locked away from society so she could do no more wrong, because she really was doing some horrible things. Now if you want to join us, then you will have to pass one last test, you are strong enough but now I must know how committed you will be to our cause. We aim to kill Zeref and will not stop until he is dead. Now you must strike a blow to his cause. You must kill her and take her head to Hargeon, because that is where he last was. We must show him that we mean business and he respects Minerva as a leader for his demons…" I started ad just as I was about to finish, he powered up a bit and cut her head clean off of her shoulders.

'He didn't hesitate! Woof! He has lost it! I don't like this... but either way I can stop him with one hand. I'll keep an eye on him, see what happens.' "Ok, so you pass, congratulations! You are officially a Ronin! Now you must recite the motto form memory, ready?"

He nodded and Lucy told him the motto. After about ten minutes or so he was ready and began, "THOUGH WE MAY HAVE NO TRUE HOME WE ARE NEVER ALONE! THOUGH NO ONE MAY WANT US WILL DO WHAT IS NEEDED! THOUGH NO ONE MAY APPRECIATE WHAT WE DO WE WILL ALWAYS DO THE RIGHT THING! WE ARE THE FORSAKEN, THE FORGOTTEN, THE LOST, WE ARE THE RONIN! DEATH TO OUR ENEMIES AND TO THE EVER LASTING GLORY THAT AWAITS US IN THE FUTURE. LIVE! FIGHT! LIVE AND FIGHT FOREVER!"

"Well said, now welcome!" I said and he nodded, shaking my hand.

"There is something you should know. Sting is on his way to Magnolia, as you probably know, and is on his way not just for the funerals, but to discuss you. The Ronin more specifically and how the council has ordered we be taken care of. My sources tell me that they plan to get a giant guild coalition together and use them to stamp us out. They are worried by your power. They think you could actually defeat Zeref and they do not want anyone other than a guild mage or one of them to do it. Would be a sign of weakness or something." Rogue said and we all laughed at this, seeing as we had already planned for this and were ready to deal with it.

"Hey Karr, you still got any contacts in the council ranks?" I asked and looked at Karr.

"Yes, I should have plenty for what your thinking. Hahahaha! This should be fun!" He said and everyone was still laughing.

"What? You already know or something? Or is there a plan for this?" Rogue asked confused by our actions.

I scoffed and said, "Oh yeah we do. Karr call up your contacts and have them find Luce and me a way into the next council meeting. We have a group to announce. By this time next week, everyone will know who the Ronin are."

(POV Change to Laxus)

I sat in my office on my new chair and was staring at Sting Eucliffe in disbelief, "You did what! You let Rogue quit your fucking guild! You idiot! Do you not remember what happened seven years ago? HE WENT FUCKING EVIL IN THE FUTURE! How could you just let him leave? And over something so stupid as who dates who and who asks out who, no offense Yukino." I was angry now, as he let someone who almost killed everyone not even seven years ago, go free.

"Hey, it's not my fault. He took offense to Lector making fun of Frosch even though he was kidding. It's not my fault he is so protective of Frosch, it's his own damn fault. Now are you going to let me finish my report from the council, or not? Either way I'm staying here in Magnolia for the funerals so I could always come back." Sting answered and leaned back in his chair, getting comfortable.

"No, just tell me now. I want to know what's so damn important that they actually told you to do something. So let's hear it." I said and leaned back myself as Sting sat up.

"You have heard of Ronin, obviously. Well the council has too now. The Ronin have been deemed a menace and the council has ordered are to be taken care of. They told me that they plan to get a giant guild coalition together and use them to stamp them out. They are worried by their power. They think Natsu could actually defeat Zeref and they do not want anyone other than a guild mage or one of them to do it. Would be a sign of weakness or something. So, they have asked that the big three gather and prepare to defeat them. Lamia Scale, Fairy Tail, and Sabertooth, that's who they asked for." He said and looked at me, waiting for my answer.

I sighed and stood up and looked at the wall behind me, "We had already planned to defeat them ourselves, but if you wish to join us we won't stop you. What about Lamia Scale? You talk to them yet?" I finished my question and looked at him.

"Yes, and they are in as well. How long will your plan take exactly, because according to how things went here, it didn't go too well." He asked and stood as well, extending his hand so he could shake mine.

I took his hand and shook it firmly, looking in his eyes matching his intensity, "One year from the day they attacked. That is when our rematch will be."

'It's also the day when I avenge you Jiji.'

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 **A/N: Whew, it's done! That was fun! I hope you guys enjoyed like I did. Well have a good day and remember, READ AND REVIEW! ADIOS!**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 42: Hello World

 **A/N: Hello there people! Not much to say other than thanks to sashaXmafuyuFOREVER for the review, and to Payn3 for the follow and favorite of the story! Enjoy this action packed chapter!**

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A Week Later (Natsu POV)

I stretched on Igneel's back as he flew us to Era, the home of the council. "How much longer? This is so boring. Honestly I don't even remember why I didn't bring Luce."

"Because she's pregnant?" Igneel responded and shook his head in disbelief. "You forgot that didn't you?

"No, but this job won't even require us to lift a finger, in reality. Just to talk for a bit and announce our plans. Oh, hey look! There it is, council headquarters. Man talk about compensating for something, that thing is absolutely huge!" I said and Igneel began his descent.

"Ok Natsu, I'm leaving for now, when you're ready to go light the signal and I'll be there. No need to waste our time. Be safe, my son." Igneel said as I hopped off his back and he flew away, leaving me alone behind enemy lines, again. 'Well Here goes nothing, I hope Luce is having fun back at home. Today is trial day for Rogue and Juvia, time to see Juvia's progress and Rogue true ranking.'

(POV Change to Lucy)

'So first up is Juvia versus Mern. This should be good. Then Rogue versus Rai. Oh my I should have some good entertainment today.' I muse to myself as I watch Kurayami walk into the center of the training ring.

"Ok, first up is Juvia and Mern. Please step forward you two." Kurayami said and the two combatants did, glaring at one another. Juvia was looking up slightly as Mern was as tall as Rai, but did not look in the least bit intimidated. "Ok, so here are the ground rules, don't kill each other. That's it. Everything else goes and, oh yes, please don't maim each other. Ready?" They both nodded and got into their fighting stances, their stare down still going on. "GO!"

He disappeared as both immediately cast their spells, "Thorns!" "Water Slicer!". Mern launched his thorns, which almost trapped Juvia but she cut them easily with her water slicer attack. Then Mern moved in and yelled, "Thorn Thrust!" and thorns shot out, straight at Juvia. she didn't move, however, and instead let them pass through her. I forget sometimes that Juvia can make herself into water, 'Oooh, nicely done Juvia. I forgot that most attacks won't hit you if you focus your magic like that.' Then Juvia became a puddle of water and moved underneath him where she rose up and onto him, reforming back into her body and trapping him. Then a water clone came from where she was standing and it charged at Mern, who was stuck since due to Juvia having him in a headlock. He tried to wriggle lose by his own strength and couldn't so the he yelled, "Thorn Body!" and thorns shot out of his whole body, barely missing Juvia who had to jump off since she had no time to change her body composition. But the clone was not so lucky and ran right into the thorns and was impaled by them, disappearing back into a puddle of water. 'Strange the water is still there, how is that possible, shouldn't it have gone back to Juvia?'

"Water Cane!" she yelled, then I understood why the water hadn't gone back as it formed a whip and struck out at Mern, who dodged, but barely and had to roll out of the way. "Water Nebula!" she yelled and out came two spinning columns of water and they crashed into Mern who stood there and took it, head on. He stood for a moment before it ended and he yelled "Thorny Rose!" as a rose shot out of his hand and expanded and flew towards Juvia. She saw it and dodged to the right of it, which was nicely done as she rolled to stopped just narrowly dodging the rose. I smirked for a second but didn't know that it was about to explode, but apparently neither did she. So when it did she was thrown forward and landed with a thud. She groaned and was slow to get up, but she did and shook off the pain and stood up. "Double Wave!" She yelled and two waves shot out and crashed against Mern, who staggered back a bit and then was hit by Juvia as she yelled, "Water Rush!" Mern was sent flying back a bit and doubled over in pain before he groaned as he stood up.

"Thorn Bullet!" he yelled and thorny bullets shot at Juvia who simply dodged them by turning her body into water. But it was a distraction as he was suddenly upon her and punched her in the face and I realized that she could only make her body water in parts, or that only part of her body could be water and let something pass through at any given time. 'This is very informative. This is also going to take the full ten minutes, someone better hurry up and finish this.' As if he was a psychic, which Mern was partially as he was telepathic, Mern kept up the pressure and yelled, "Thorn Curse!" and Juvia was trapped in thorns that encased her upper body and she yelled out in pain and quickly turned herself into water and put some distance between them and reformed. But no one saw what was coming when Mern yelled out, "Thorn Time Bomb!". Suddenly the area where Juvia had been a massive explosion and Juvia was sent flying up in the air. That's when I noticed where she was standing, 'Oh, so when the fight started and he got into his stance he placed some thorn magic down and set that up, very clever.' Then the fight was all over, Mern jumped and met her mid air and she didn't see him coming. He put some of his heavier thorns on his hands and swung down, sending her flying towards the ground where she crashed with a thud and created a crater.

Kurayami ran out and checked on her and waved his hands in an X, signaling the end of the fight. "WINNER: MERN!" he motioned to Esoj and Nena and they created a stretcher for Juvia, but she refused it and stood up on her own power.

She walked over to Mern and extended her hand which Mern took and they exchanged a job well done. They both walked to where everyone was sitting and I said, "Well that was fun. Took nine minutes and it was kinda close, so well done Juvia." She nodded her thanks to me and I smiled back and had her sit at my right, as I wondered, 'How's Natsu doing?'

(POV Change to Natsu)

I walked with Karr's contact as he leads me to the council chamber, "Wow, you must really hate the council, I mean I'm gonna be interrupting a meeting and embarrassing their security. You will probably lose your job you know?"

"Not if I make it look like you overpowered security, WHICH you did. Need I remind you that all the security people are at the front entrance, unconscious and bloodied?" He said but I just ignored him. Like he said I do want them to know they have no hope of stopping me.

"Is this it?" I asked as we reached a big door that looked very regal and like it cost a lot of money to make.

"Yes, now knock me out and throw me inside. It will make it look like I was beaten after you used me to find this place." He said as I grabbed him, punched him a few times, and threw him inside the room, causing the room's inhabitants to look up and gasp a bit.

"Well hello there council members! How are we today?" I asked mockingly and walked in.

"Natsu Dragneel. Why am I not surprised to see that it is you causing a ruckus?" Said the chairman, whose name I couldn't remember.

"Tch, please you are surprised, don't lie. You all think yourselves untouchable now, even after Tartarus killed all of the last council in this very place, and now here I am. I could kill every one of you, not break a sweat, and go home and have sex with my wife. But I am not here to do that. Today I came to tell you what I plan to do with myself. I will kill Zeref. Get in my way and I will kill you as well, so stay out of my way. And leave Ronin alone as well, we have challenged Fairy Tail to a rematch and it will happen in one year. So leave us alone and wait for the rematch. If your guild coalition comes we will fight them as well, and the rules apply to them as well as us. We lose we surrender, we win we are absolved off all crimes and allowed to form our own guild. These are my terms. You would be wise to accept them." I finished my message and looked at them, waiting for an answer.

The chairman apparently didn't hear my warning nor knew how strong I really was as he charged at me, and sent a spell my way. I deflected the spell with my bare hand causing everyone in the room to have their jaws drop, yawning and grabbed him by the throat. "I warned you to accept the terms. Now I will show you why." I said as I put more pressure to my grip and I felt some of his tendons pop, tearing and snapping. The other council members looked on in horror as I squeezed, and popped his neck, breaking it but not killing him. "Now, unless you wanna be a mute forever like the chairman here, then you will accept the terms. So how do you vote?"

"IN FAVOR!" They all yelled, and I laughed at their fear.

"Good children, alright I'm done here. Igneel sorry about this." I said as I sent up the signal that I had prepared, but was not what Igneel thought it would be. I disappeared as my body flickered away.

(POV Change to 3rd Person)

The council members watched in continued horror as they saw Natsu disappear, as if he were not actually there. "He was a psychic projection the whole time? Just how strong is he? The max a projection could be in terms of relative strength to the original is fifty percent. And that strength was terrifying." Said one of the council members and the others nodded and one yelled for a medic, and attended to the chairman.

In the skies above, the great dragon Igneel was now incensed at his adoptive son, "Damn it! TELL ME THIS KINDA STUFF IS YOUR PLAN BEFOREHAND!" He turned around and flew back towards the new home his son had made and left the signal, which was a message behind, which said, ' _I am a psychic projection, no need to take me home. Sorry Igneel.'_

(POV Change back to Lucy)

"Oi, sorry about the long bathroom break. Dinner last night wasn't spicy enough for me so I couldn't keep it down too well." Natsu said as he sat down next to me and I looked at him, "So what did I miss?"

"Mern won, as we expected. But Juvia put up one hell of a fight. She was excellent." I said and he nodded, "You did tell Igneel that he was flying a psychic projection to Era right?"

"…Shit. I knew I forgot something." Natsu said as I face-palmed and felt bad for him.

"You know he's gonna be mad when he gets back right?" I said as Juvia who had been nodding to both of us in thanks for the praise started to laugh at my misfortune.

"Sorry, but Juvia finds it funny how little you have changed Natsu-san. You are still that dense fool that always fought Gray." She said in between laughs.

"I'm not that dense…" He said and looked at us.

We all laughed as we knew it was not true, he pouted and we were about to apologize but were interrupted by Kurayami yelling out, "Ok, so here are the ground rules, don't kill each other. That's it. Everything else goes and, oh yes, please don't maim each other. Ready?" Rogue and Rai nodded and stared each other down, slowly nodding and getting into position. "GO!" and the two charged at each other, Rai yelling, "Light Speed!" he was a blur but so was Rogue as he had activated shadow drive and almost matched his speed. They collided and pushed each other back, and they began an exchange of blows, each one using their magic to help create more force behind their punches. They pulled back for some more room and looked at each other, catching their breathes for a moment. Rai was the first to strike as he yelled "Light Pulse!" and seven balls of light went flying at Rogue. Rogue countered, yelling "Shadow Dragon's Roar!" His roar hit the balls of light and they both exploded, only having reached the mid way point between the two. They both charged again and exchange some more blows but Rogue yelled, "Shadow Dragon's Slash!" and his punches became too fast to follow and sent Rai flying backwards. He followed it up with another "Shadow Dragon's Roar!" and sent Rai into a tree, which he destroyed and kept flying. He stopped himself however by using his magic and yelling, "Light Wings!" Wings sprouted from his back and helped him stop his momentum.

He turned and charged at Rogue yelling "Light Meteor!" He picked up speed and crashed into Rogue, the place where they were becoming a massive crater. They both were out of it quickly however and were back to trading punches. They both landed a punch on each other's jaws and sent the other flying back. Then Rogue did something really unexpected, he stood up after landing and focused his magic and activated a mode we did not expect to see. He was in his Shadow Light Dragon mode. 'Did Sting give him his light? What an idiot! I wonder if it was a fair exchange like what Laxus did, or did Rogue just kind of steal it?' Natsu was just as shocked as I was and looked at Rogue who then charged at Rai. Rai was no match for him, as he was quickly overwhelmed as not only had Rogue gone into his two element form, but used his dragon force. He quickly punched Rai in the face, and kept punching him all over. This kept going on for a good minute before finally Kurayami came out as Rogue lost his super dragon mode.

"Tch, idiot. He just wasted all that magic, and not even on the real Rai. Look." Natsu said and I saw the Rai he was beating up disappear in a flash of light and the real Rai charged from the crater. 'Smart. He used a clone to make him think that was the real Rai and had him use up a lot of magic to do that. Well done.' Rai yelled, "Light Speed!" and was on him in less than a second and sent him flying a moment later. He chased after Rogue and kept him flying, not giving him a chance to recover properly and catch his breath. 'This is gonna end soon. Only one minute left and Rogue is completely on the ropes. I still think Rogue can salvage a tie but he needs to stop Rai's assault. Now.' And that he did, he activated his shadow drive and was finally able to grab Rai and throw him off of him. He stood and charged at his top speed and began his own assault on Rai and was raining down punches on him, his fists much stronger as they were augmented by his magic. Then as it looked as if he was about to finish the fight as Rai looked tired and drained, Kurayami ran out and threw up his hands, standing between the two, signaling the end of the fight. "WINNER: NO ONE!". They both relaxed and traded a fist bump, congratulating each other on an amazing battle.

"Tch, Rogue could have won if he hadn't wasted so much magic on his assault, he should have smelled it was a clone. What a waste." Natsu said disgusted, shaking his head.

"Now, now. He put up a great fight as did Rai. They both look tired, as I bet you are as well. Ya hungry?" I asked him and he nodded while sighing.

"NATSU! CARE TO TELL ME WHY YOU DIDN'T TELL ME YOU SENT A PROJECTION?!" Igneel yelled as he arrived and was very angry.

"... Shit. Ummm Luce I have to go, but save me some food. Bye!" Natsu said and kissed my forehead, then he ran off and was being chased by a dragon... Yes, this man was going to kill Zeref. 'World meet Natsu. Natsu say hello to the world. After today they will all know who you are.'

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 **A/N: Hahaha, Natsu really is an idiot. But man is he scary when he wants to be. I mean he snapped a guy's neck without killing him, just to make a point. Scary stuff there. Also partially sadistic as he always hurts people and laughs about it but yeah it's whatever...Hahaha! And I liked how Mern and Rai's magic turned out, definitely interesting characters who will eventually get a fight that is a full fight. Well that was fun! Remember to keep looking for the next chapters as I update almost daily, AND READ AND REVIEW! ADIOS!**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 43: You Were Warned

 **A/N: I AM SO SORRY! I AM A BAD AUTHOR! I said that almost everyday I would update and the next day I don't update… Sorry! I wasn't feeling too well and didn't want to try and write as I would not have been able to focus properly and write this well. So here we are! Shout out to sashaXmafuyuFOREVER for yet another review and yes your OC is awesome. And thank you to brucie86 for the review, and for bringing up an excellent point that I wish to tell you guys. Any pairings in the story will be based on relationships that are made more or less inevitable in the manga itself, not by us normal people. I AM NOT ON CRACK SO THERE WILL BE NO CRACK PAIRINGS! If a character has no obvious person to pair with, they will get an OC, sorry to those of you who like crack pairings but I so not enjoy them, as they make no sense to my empirical mind. I only believe in what I see more or less and I find crack pairings unbelievable, so yeah that's that. Sorry for jumping on my soapbox but I needed that to be said to everyone. SO, Enjoy Chapter Forty Three!**

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Next Day (Natsu POV)

I woke up and stretched, Lucy next to me doing the same as we both heard the blaring noise of the alarm clock. "Why did we set an alarm? It's way too early." I said and sat up, rubbing my eyes and trying to rub the sleepiness out of me.

"The newspaper, we want to see what the reaction was to your little escapade into Era. Hopefully they listened or they will have hell to pay, right?" Lucy asked and looked at me, wondering if I had a backup plan.

"Yes, they were warned. They should have listened though, I made the chairman a mute." I said and Lucy looked surprised, "What, don't approve?"

"No, the opposite. That was some restraint you showed. Usually he would be dead for being insolent, but hey you can't just kill all your problems right?" She said and I had to agree, but there are some cases where that is that is the case.

"Let's get going so we can sleep some more, ok?" I said and extended my hand for her to take, which she did and we walked out of the room and made our way outside and into the center of town.

We walked in a comfortable silence with our arms entwined together, linking us together so we could walk at the same pace. We arrived at the town square and saw the young paper boy getting set up to sell his papers, so before he started yelling his usual thing, we walked up to him and bought a newspaper. "Thanks to ya, sir, ma'am." The boy said and we smiled at him, before walking away.

"Well, what does it say?" Lucy asked and we stopped and opened it.

 _Natsu Dragneel, Menace to Society! He has done it again, the former guild mage of the famous guild Fairy Tail, and now leader of the rogue dark mage group 'Ronin' has done it again. He snuck into the council meeting at Era and attacked the chairman of the council, gravey injuring him. Dragneel claims to believe himself capable of killing the infamous Black Mage, Zeref, and has told the council to allow him to handle it. The council isn't buying it, one council member says, "If he thinks he can kill Zeref with his power, then he really is psychotic. He isn't strong enough to do it, the only reason he got the chairman was because he surprised him. Not because he was stronger." Dragneel whereabouts are unknown but the council is unconcerned, saying he is simply a mad man who has gone rogue and killed more guild members than he has bad guys. He is a bad guy, and should be treated as such, if you have any information on his whereabouts please contact…_

I never finished reading as I just burned it up, as my whole body was on fire, my rage being quite obvious to anyone with a working pair of eyes. "Those idiots…" Lucy said and I had to agree.

"Let's go, I have some shit to do now." Even I could feel my aura growing darker, murderous, "They were warned to leave me be but yet they mock me instead. I should never have believed they would listen. It's time to show them what happens when they don't listen." I said and we walked back in silence, me still on fire and Lucy not even wanting to try and calm me down.

We arrived at the mansion and Kurayami was waiting for us, and after seeing me he ran back inside and went to wake everyone up so we could have an emergency meeting. I walked inside and went straight to the meeting room my aura not once lightening, my anger and rage was too great, I didn't even call the emergency meeting I just knew that everyone would come. I opened the door to meeting room and finally realized I had lit myself on fire, I immediately put out my fire body so I can sit down and not destroy the nice seats. But my eyes said everything, like they were on fire, burning with my rage.

Everyone else who wasn't Lucy quickly piled into the room and sat down quickly, a bit uncomfortably as they saw me and worried I would lash out at anyone who annoyed me. I was breathing heavily, almost shaking from the anger, I had truly thought that the council would have heeded my warning and accepted my terms. But, they didn't.

"We are going to Plan X. The target is mine, and mine alone. Everyone else is to wait for me. I will be back in a couple of days. Lucy, you run the mission from here by using Mern's telepathy. I'm leaving now so hurry up and get set up. NOW!" I yelled the last part and woke everyone up from their shock. They all got moving and Mern walked up and set up the telepathy link, connecting Lucy, Igneel, and I together mentally. "Luce, are you ready? Igneel, can you hear me?" I asked mentally and got a nod from Lucy.

"Yes, I can. I could feel you from a mile away, what happened?" Igneel replied and I walked out of the room, nodding but also not responding. "… I see. I guess I'll hear about it eventually. I'm outside waiting for you." I walked out and saw Igneel waiting and looked at him, and he knew from the mental image I sent his way where I was going already. I got on his back and he took off, heading to our target and where the world will learn the hard way just how strong I am.

A Few Hours Later

We arrived at our destination and I jump off, while we were still high in the air and lit myself on fire. I turned into a torpedo and charged towards the ground, landing with a great crash. The ground where I landed was nothing but a crater so large it caused buildings around it to fall down into the hole. I jumped out of the hole and walked towards the building that I was looking for, totally unscathed and completely on fire, melting the road I walked on into a molten mess. I looked up and saw the people I came here to crush run at me and I grabbed them by the throats, smashing their heads together so hard they were bleeding and their throats were burned so badly, it was black already. I continue going as they weren't the only ones I was looking for, and I arrived at the building I was looking for. I blew the door open and walked in, and quickly got to work. "Fire Dragon's Machine Gun!" I yelled and shot fire that started hitting mages and sent them flying every which way. A mage jumped in front of me but stood no chance as I kneed him in the gut and the kicked him in the face so hard his neck broke slightly and he was sent flying, I could tell his neck broke since I heard the bones snap. I keep moving, mowing down mages left and right, breaking so many of their bones and tearing so of their many tendons and muscles, I wouldn't be surprised if the guild is forced to shut down.

Then four of their strongest mages come fourth and attack me all at once, but it was to no avail. I simply jumped up and twisted my body, grabbing one of their heads I threw him in the path of another mage and he was hit by friendly fire, being taken down by the others attack. Meanwhile I had used my foot to launch some more magic at another one and sent him flying into the wall and I could hear some of his vertebrae crack and break. Then I land in front of another one and grab him by the collar of his shirt and lift him up, even though he is twice my weight. I sense the last one trying to sneak up on me and throw the fat one into him and yell, "Fire Dragon's Roar!" and send those two into next week.

I turn to find more mages, the last ones who are all strong S-class mages, led by one who is famous in all of Fiore. There were five in all, each very strong including their ace, but I didn't even stop walking. I grabbed one by the collar of his shirt, moving so fast he doesn't even see me and I throw him up and jump after him, using my flames to augment my strength I punch him square in the jaw, breaking his jaw and sending him crashing into the floor. Then I land next to another one who grabs me and third one tries to hit me, at least he tried to but I put my feet firmly on the ground and used all my strength to throw the guy grabbing me over my shoulders and into the attacker. Then as they both collide and unleash a, "Fire Dragon's Roar!" and knock them both out. Then I turn and run up to another mage and punch him in the gut three times in a row, then follow that up with a stomp to his knee shattering the kneecap, and finish him by grabbing his head and kneeing it, throwing his head into it to add even more force which causes his neck to break slightly. I then turn and charge at the guild ace and slide underneath him and pop up behind him but see he hasn't moved at all. I look at him poke him and he falls right over, knocked unconscious by the fear I had instilled in him.

"Tch, Wild my ass. Quatro Puppy really earned their nickname today. Not even the older mages were any good. What a waste of magic. Oh well. Goldmine! Come out here!" I yell and see the old Fairy Tail mage come out and look at the massacre. I hadn't even been scratched and yet his entire guild was in shambles, he looked mad and sad at the same time. "There you are I have a message for you, leave the coalition and tell the council that they were warned before, and this is the result for insolence. Night, night." I said as I quickly got up close and personal and unleashed my magic energy, suffocating him before he finally went unconscious.

I walked over his now unconscious body and jumped up, using my fire to help me stay afloat as I put my right hand out. Fire spewed from my hand and burned everything in sight, the scorch marks in the shape of a broken samurai helmet. It was in the symbol of the Ronin and now everyone would know our power. I blew the roof off the place and used my fire to boost me up to where Igneel was waiting. "How long was that?" I asked.

"Twenty minutes or so." He replied coolly but with a sense of pride to his voice.

"Tch, that took longer than I had anticipated, sorry dad. Played around too much." I said as he deadpanned at my apology.

"You do realize that you just took out an entire guild of over one hundred mages along with five S-class mages and their guild ace, AND their master without so much as getting scratched, right?" Igneel asked and I looked at his eyes.

"Yeah, but they were weak, even Gōsuto could do this, Bacchus Groh does not deserve the title of guild ace anywhere, Erza could beat him. And she couldn't even make Gōsuto sweat with Jellal helping her. And Goldmine is old now, he wasn't even close to his former strength, this was absolutely pathetic." I said and crossed my arms, not happy with how long I took. I sighed and said, "Come on let's go home. We have sleep to catch up on and you go too fast to sleep." And with that, not another word was said and we were gone, leaving the remains of a once proud guild there to serve as a reminder of what happens to those who underestimate the Ronin.

The Next Day- Day of Funerals (Laxus POV)

I look at the messenger and cannot believe my ears. "HE DID WHAT?!" I yell as I'm sure I heard him wrong, I must have.

"Yes. Natsu Dragneel successfully defeated the entirety of Quatro Cerberus by himself. And in twenty minutes no less. As such they will not be able to attend and have pulled their support from the coalition as many of their stronger mages' careers are now over due to the injuries. No one was killed but several were gravely wounded, and have burns, broken bones, dislocated bones, and torn muscles and ligaments and tendons. It was a complete mess there." The messenger said and I looked at the frog like creature, the messenger boys of the council and shook my head.

"My gods, what did the council say about all this?" I asked and the messenger looked down.

"They are calling it a terrorist act and saying that he is now a worldwide criminal and the now second most wanted man behind Zeref. But the coalition will stay a go as planned, there will be no change in those plans." He said and refused to look into my eyes, scared about something.

"AND?" I asked sternly and he finally looked up.

"They are naming Jura Neekis the head of the coalition, not you as you requested. They say that this is getting too personal for you to handle objectively. You will report directly to Jura from now on." He said and I almost broke the chair I was holding onto, the wood of the back of it cracking under the pressure.

"Leave now. If you are a smart frog man you will leave now." I said and he left without so much as a thank you for your time, he ran like a man afraid of something. 'Fuck them. Fuck all of them. I can't believe this shit, even when we're down they refuse to acknowledge us and allow us to do thing sour way. No offense to Jura but I should be leading the team! I have the most information on Natsu and am the strongest one, the only one who could beat him! I warned them about Natsu, said not to take him lightly and what do they do? Prove me right and do just that. Now look what he did, he destroyed an entire guild by himself and kicked every mage's ass. I need to talk to Jura.' "Freed! Go and get Jura for me! I need to talk to him! Bickslow! Go and tell everyone the funerals have been postponed and to read the morning paper to understand why!" I called out to my aides and heard a 'yes sir!' in reply as they ran off to do as I asked. 'You really were fucking warned you council dipshits. Now look at the trouble we're in.'

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 **A/N: Whew, it feels good to write again! I was forced to take the whole day off and I missed writing! Now I'm back and feeling good, and thanks to the day off I have an idea of how to get the story really going again! I can't wait! Oh, and as an FYI, the combination of ten rule will now apply for the rest of the story so get to it! Remember everyone, READ AND REVIEW! AND FOLLOW AND FAVORITE IF YOU SO CHOOSE! ADIOS!**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 44:

 **A/N: Hello again! How are we today? Wait who am I talking to… Oh that's right! You the readers! Who don't talk back to me except for sashaXmafuyuFOREVER and brucie86 via their reviews… Shout out to those two as always! Now enough of my tomfoolery and on with the chapter! Enjoy!**

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Same Day (Laxus POV)

I sit and tap the desk, bored, while I wait for Jura. 'Damn, he sure is taking his sweet time. I wonder if Bickslow is back yet? Along with everyone else in the guild.'

I looked up at a sudden noise, which snapped me out of my reverie, and saw Freed standing there with Jura looming over him. "Freed, leave us. Go and help Bickslow bring everyone here." I said and Freed nodded and scurried off feeling the tension in the room.

Jura closed the door and sat down, a bit stiff from the back injury but still looking just as intimidating as he always did. "So I assume you heard the council's choice?" I nodded and kept staring at him, my face unreadable, "Ok, and I know this will be tough for you but I hope you accept the choice. I would very much like you to be my number two in the coalition's ranks as you know the most about Natsu and Lucy. And you were the last one to fight him and be awake right now, the last few have been hospitalized and none of them are leaving any time soon. Especially anyone in Quatro Cerberus. Those guys are in some seriously bad shape, all one hundred and sixty nine of them. There were twenty broken necks, fifteen broken spines, fifty five broken legs, all of them have burns, ten of which are past third degree burns, and one traumatized guild ace who has been awake but hasn't said a word yet. That guild will be lucky to be around anymore after what just happened. This leaves us with only five viable guilds with which to use in the coalition. FIVE. What news do you have about anything else, I have been out of the loop lately." He said as I nodded at the stats not quite able to wrap my head around how Natsu beat the sixth strongest guild all by himself.

"Ok, have you heard what happened to Sabertooth?" I asked and he looked at me confused and shook his head, "Ok, well apparently Sting and Rogue got into an argument which caused Rogue to leave. Yes he left Sabertooth." I said this and immediately Jura jumped up.

"HE DID WHAT?! Goddamnit! He was gonna be a key part of the plan, but now he's gone. Shit. Ok, anything else?" He asked and I shook my head, He sighed and stood up, and held his out for me to shake, which I did and looked at me, "Ok, well I will head back to my hotel and wait. I'll see you tomorrow then, correct?"

"Yes, the funerals are tomorrow now. I'll see you then." I said and he left as Freed came back to my door, Jura walked by and clambered away a bit stiffly, "Ok is everyone gathered per my instructions?"

"Yes master Laxus, everyone is accounted for and is waiting for you to begin, are you ready?" Freed said and I nodded. We both walked out of my office and went to the edge of the balcony and looked down. Immediately I saw the guild hall was full, and every pair of eyes were on me, waiting for me to say something. Even the younger ones were waiting for me to say what I wanted to say. Even Gildarts had come back form his little exile and had come with Cana who had been forced to retire from fighting and had taken up a full time job as a fortune teller of cards and a bartender. Then I began to feel I nervous, as I had not really done this before and had no clue on how to start. Then I saw Olive who held Maks in her arms and smiled at me, telling me she believed in me.

It was enough to convince me to start as I cleared my throat and began, "Everyone as you must have heard or seen, Natsu has done it again. He defeated and destroyed an entire guild this time, Quatro Cerberus, and did so all by himself. Yes he beat a guild of one hundred and sixty nine mages by himself, he did it all yesterday, in the span of twenty minutes." I paused and saw no one who looked normal. Everyone was in disbelief and shock, especially Gajeel who didn't think Natsu was that strong, 'Sure strong enough to beat me and him, but an entire guild. Not just any guild either but the sixth highest ranked one in all of Fiore? And that ranking is skewed as they never send their S-class mages to the event, except for Bacchus.' I continued saying, "Yes, it is all true. And as such we will postpone the funerals for a day to allow everyone here to make a decision. As you all most likely know, Gajeel and his family are going to be taking a leave of absence to train for one year after the funerals. And now I offer the same chance to all of you to do the same. If you truly wish, you may leave and train for a year. Bit I must know by tomorrow, so I may take you off the active guild roster and that way it doesn't look like your not doing anything. So I will allow you all to ponder that, but for now go home, rest, reflect, and decide. And if you decide to retire, now would be the time. No one will look down on you if that is what you choose, I wouldn't let them. So if one of those decisions is wracking your mind, then decide quickly but at home. The guild hall is officially closed for the day. Goodbye, and please try and get some rest." 'I know I will, what a mess today has already been.'

Everyone nodded and murmuring began, many pondering what to do for the day and what they were going to do for their futures. Gray however was not among them, and stayed behind as I walked back to my office to lock it. I notice he is still there and I walk down to where he is, and see the look on his face that he had put on since he had woken up a week ago, cold and unreadable. "Lax, er master, I need to tell you my decision. I made it this morning before we were all called here." He said and I nodded, telling Olive to wait outside for me with the usual look. He continued after I nodded for him to continue, "I have decided to do the same as Gajeel is planning on doing. I will go with Lyon and we will train together, hopefully become twice as strong along the way. We never want what happened to us to happen again. I hope you can understand Laxus." He said, bowing his head in respect for his guild master.

"Of course I do. I understand fully and wish you and Lyon success on your travel and journeys. I hope your training goes well, and I have a job for you as well. If you hear anything about where Natsu and his group are hiding, please let us know. That is all I require of you. Now go and prepare yourself, you have a speech to prepare for tomorrow. Goodbye, Gray." I said and held out my hand and we exchanged a handshake, and I thought to myself, 'And I must do the same, I just pray that I can channel my inner Jiji and do this like he would.'

(POV Change to Natsu)

I arrive back at the mansion and see a very upset Lucy waiting for me, tapping her foot impatiently, 'Crap. I forgot she heard everything I thought. So gonna be on bottom tonight.'

"Natsu, why do all the newspapers say you destroyed the guild, not just destroyed the guild but almost killed all of it's mages? What happened to showing some GODDAMN RESTRAINT?!" She yelled the last part and I gulped audibly, knowing I was so fucked.

"Ummm, I wanted to prove a point; that I should be respected, as should everyone who is a part of Ronin. What, do you not approve of my methods, Luce?" I said and stepped close to her, looking her in the eye as she had given me a look that said she did not.

"You went too far and took too long. We both know that you didn't need to paralyze anyone, which five of them now are, one by the fear you instilled in him, and four from severed spinal cords from broken vertebrae. Was that really necessary?" She said and got closer to me, not afraid of me at all, which scared me and caused me to back down.

"I know. I felt the same way about how long it took. But I was extremely mad about the way we were disrespected by those idiots masquerading as the council members. Sorry?" I asked and opened my arms, wondering if she would take the hint and take the hug.

She did, while sighing and saying, "Ok, I understand you big oaf. I hope you just try and control your anger form now on. We have a kid who we should teach the proper values that you were not taught. IGNEEL, this child's behavior is your fault! You forgot to teach him manners!"

"Hey it's not my fault! He's an idiot who never listened! Plus I only had him for a few years, not a long time like most parents!" Igneel yelled in his own defense and they began bickering back and forth and soon enough it turned into a stare down that caused me to break out laughing.

"Hahaha, and I am the one who's called immature! You two are arguing like the kids here! Hahaha" I said and they both we're about to retort something, then stopped and looked at each other. They both smiled and laughed realising that I was right for once.

"You're right, sorry Natsu. Come on let's go inside and rest, it's late already. You can be on top tonight." Lucy said and I quickly picked her up bridal style as she squealed and we ran inside laughing all the way, our family perfect together once more, like my life was as of right now.

The Next Day (Gray POV)

I woke up in my usual sweat, trying to shake the image that had haunted me ever since I had woken up in the infirmary. 'Juvia, I miss you so much... Please wait for me. I will be with you eventually so we can be with you forever. But first, I must get through today.' I thought to myself, the usual mantra I wake up to saying everyday now. I roll out of bed and fix Juvia's hat for the last time, putting it on her pillow like she were looking for it like she always did in the morning but was never able to find as it was on the floor next to my side of the bed. I sighed at the memory and fought back the urge to cry again, I had done it too often lately and instead I thought of the person I hated with my very essence, 'Lucy...' I clenched my fists and stomped around the room putting my clothes on. I had on the suit that I had especially made for today and I kissed Juvia's hat, my way of saying goodbye. I walked outside and made my way to the church, the site of my nightmare.

I walked in and took my seat, barely on time as Laxus was taking the stage to start, "Hello everyone. Thank you for coming today, we are here today to remember those we lost two weeks ago. We know that they are never forgotten, just no longer here with us physically, but they are here with us emotionally, spiritually, and mentally and they always will be for as long as we remember them. We will have one person say some words about each person and then we will be done, first is Gajeel Redfox for Warrod Sequen." Laxus said and Gajeel stood up and made his way to the podium.

He reached the podium and began his speech, "I did not know Warrod well, I only got to know him for a couple of months. But in those two months I got to know him a bit and learned that he was man who loved those he considered his nakama. He loved them and would go to hell and back for them if they needed his help. He would anything for them, and he did, he died helping his nakama fight the enemy once again, the enemy of Fairy Tail as always. He was a man who epitomized the spirit of this guild, that nakama come first as they are your true family and will stay with you through thick and thin. He was the prime example of someone who loved his nakama more than life itself, obviously or else we would not be here. Even though I did not know him very long, I know that he was a man that epitomized Fairy Tail and deserved the title of Co-Founder of Fairy Tail. Thank you for listening." He said and sat down, his speech quick but said with purpose behind every word.

The crowd applauded Gajeel and Laxus made his way to the podium and said to everyone, "Thank you Gajeel, and next we have... myself speaking about Makarov Dreyar." A quiet murmur of surprise broke out among the crowd, stunned that he was going second and not last but he quieted them saying, "Makarov Dreyar was a great man who truly understood what the bond between nakama was. It was a bond made that was thicker than blood and could erase the pain of the past, it could heal any scar and grant immense strength. Every man and woman who walked through the doors of Fairy Tail knows his love for his nakama, just how deeply he cared and how they were the number one priority in his life. They were so important that he excommunicated his own son when he attempted to harm the guild, not even giving it a second thought as he knew that his son was a danger to his precious nakama. He gave everything to this guild and expected nothing in return, just like a father does for his children and to Jiji, everyone in this guild who grew up here was his own child. He raised them, taught them how to live, made them who they are today, except for certain cases. And unfortunately a certain case was his undoing as one of those he truly loved was the one who killed him. But he died doing what he always did, he died protecting his nakama to the very bitter end. He was a man who loved his nakama and like Warrod would do anything for them, even if that meant certain death, which this time was the result. But do not feel bad or sad for him because he died doing what he loved, and he died peacefully knowing he did all he could as Master of Fairy Tail, not only as the third master but as the sixth master as well. He now rests in peace and stands watch over us all, along with the other masters and founders of Fairy Tail. And let his favorite question be the last thing I say be his trademark question, 'Do Fairies have tails?'." He finished and the crowd, at least those who were not crying stood and applauded his great speech, and did so for several minutes before he spoke for the final time that day, or so the plan said, "And now the final speaker, Gray Fullbuster speaking about Juvia Fullbuster."

The crowd went dead silent and now understood why I went last, so I could leave and cry in a hole like I had been doing. I stood and walked over to the podium and began my speech, "Juvia Fullbuster was perhaps the greatest woman to have ever lived. She was loyal, kind, loving, and caring, and as we all know she was all of those things to me twice over. I loved her greatly and did from the moment i first got to know her, but she wasn't always one of us, no originally she was an enemy who saw the light. She saw the light that was Fairy Tail and was attracted to it like a moth to a flame. She never truly knew her family and was an outcast for most of her life but thankfully for not just her but me as well, we found her. Sure at first things were weird between us as she was a tad bit obsessive over me, but I grew to love that part of her. The part that loved and loved, yet never truly never expected much in return, the part that was fiercely loyal, to a fault at time but never did her conviction waver. I loved her with all my heart and know that if she were here today, I would be the happiest man on earth. So to forever immortalize her, I am going to make something for her." I paused and turned around and yelled, "Ice Make: Sculpture J+G!" and a sculpture appeared before me. The crowd gasped and applauded as they saw what it was, a sculpture of Juvia and me. We had our arms interlocked and were both fully clothed, which for once I actually was, and on our left ring finger we each had our wedding rings, the real ones with me on my necklace. Where they would stay forever, close to my heart, I turned around and finished my speech saying, "Juvia and I will never be separated ever again. For so long as I live so will this sculpture of us, and I hope she will wait for me, because when that day comes and I go to join her, I will need her guidance to find her once again." I felt a tear escape my eye and I walked away from the podium to a raucous applause, but I didn't hear it as i began to make my way out of the church so I could pack and prepare the next part of my life, 'Now comes the hard part, the revenge I so desperately desire. I hope it is sweet like always.' And I walked away, alone like always, no family anymore, the fact a perfect reflection of my life as of right now.

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 **A/N: Wow. That was sad. Kleenex worthy, really. I hope you guys liked this as it needed to be done and I hope you other time zone people do not mind the late update! REMEMBER, if you liked it show me that you did! READ AND REVIEW, OR FAVORITE OR FOLLOW EVEN IF YOU SO PLEASE! ADIOS!**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 45: The Waiting Game

 **A/N: Hello once again! Today will be a bit shorter but I just wanted to welcome justenb7, the latest follower and person to favorite this story! And thank you to saracresp for the review, and to the guest reviewer who made a point that I wholeheartedly agree with, the story is a bit slow. The story has been going on for a while now but as with all good things patience is the key. I needed to set up the characters nicely and prepare everyone for what comes next, which will happen soon. What will happen? Not gonna say, just be ready. But there should be no real confusion as long as you read the ENTIRE story, it is long, but earlier chapters explain everything, so check those out if you are confused. Now off the soapbox and on with the chapter, ENJOY!**

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Immediately After the Funeral (Laxus POV)

I watch as everyone filed out of the church and back to the guild for the going away event for Gajeel and Levy, and for Gray. Those three were leaving for a time, going off to train and hopefully gather some information on Natsu and his group. I sigh and follow them, not looking forward to this event as many would be looking for me to say something to them, and I had no clue what I would say if they did. 'I already used my brain for the funeral, please don't make me do this too.'

"Sparky, are you alright? You seem off…" Olive said as she came next to me and interlocked our arms, "Worried about not having anything to say to those three who are leaving, huh?" 'Damn, she knows me too well, can read me like a book. Gods I love her.'

I sighed again and looked down at her, "Yeah, I already gave a good speech today for Jiji. I can really only do that once a day, you know? DO I really have do that shit again? I mean I obviously have to… but do you think they'll care? Should I just say nothing?"

I asked her, causing her to look at me and smile her bright and beautiful smile as she said, "Nope. You're the master now; you are the one in charge. They all will be looking to you for everything now, leadership, support, understanding, guidance, to be a father figure for them… Just like Jiji was for everyone."

I looked at her and gave her a blank stare, unable to see myself trying to be like him, 'His little shoes will be ones that I will never fill. They are too big for someone like me, someone who is the opposite of him. I will never fill them… But I must try, that is what he would want and is what he thought I would be able to do when he agreed to name me master. For his sake I must at least try and fill his shoes!'

I grinned at Olive, letting her know she was right and said, "You're right, Olive. Even if I fail miserably, I must try. It is what Jiji would have wanted from me." I kept my grin on and saw her lips break out into one too, and I only stopped looking at her when I realized we had arrived at the guild hall.

I open the doors to see everyone huddled around something, murmuring quietly about it, and I immediately wade my way through them and look at what they are looking at. "THAT FUCKING IDIOT! I TOLD HIM TO WAIT AND SAY GOODBYE! GAH!" Everyone was huddled around a note Gray had left us, on it written in a poor excuse for handwriting, _'Everyone, I couldn't say goodbye. Please excuse me, but I have already left and have taken a train out of here. No need to look after my apartment, I left it locked and gave the key to the landlady so she can look after it. Again, I'm sorry for leaving but I just need to get away and start my training. Please take care of yourselves, I will see everyone in a year. –Gray.'_ I sigh deeply after carefully reading the note and look to find Gajeel and Levy still here, along little Joi, Pantherlily, and Metalicana (who is outside), waiting for me so we could begin this thing.

"Well, at least you stayed. Are you two ready?" I asked and they both nodded as everyone shut up and looked at them, holding back tears of sadness as yet another person was leaving. "Everyone, do not be sad. Please don't. I do well with crying people." I said and caused some people to chuckle sadly, "But seriously speaking, we are here today to say goodbye to our fellow nakama, even if it's only a temporary goodbye. We say goodbye but promise never to forget you four. You are always welcome to come and stay here for a time, but do remember why you are leaving. Go and get stronger, go and do what you must, we will be here, waiting for your return. We hope that it all goes well and that we can see you again soon. Come forward and allow me to recite the rules all those who leave Fairy Tail must follow: One, you must never reveal sensitive information about Fairy Tail to others for as long as you live. Two, you must never use former contacts met through your being in the guild for personal gain. Three, though our paths may have diverged, you must continue to live out your life with all your might, you must never consider your own life to be something insignificant, and you must never forget about your friends for as long as you live." I finished my speech and looked at them as they looked at their guild marks, which were still there, surprise on their faces. "Now, unlike most occasions your guild marks will not leave you, as you still identify yourselves as a mage of Fairy Tail. Now go. Do the name of the guild whose mark you bear proudly and bring us glory and pride, remember, you are and always will be a mage of Fairy Tail, now get going already!"

I yelled the last part a bit and they smiled at me as I turned away, a single tear staining my cheek, 'And I pray that you stay safe, who knows what plans Natsu has.' I watched as everyone else said their goodbyes and once they were done the family of five walked outside, except for the dragon who was outside, and they all climbed atop of the dragon's back, and waved. Everyone began calling out final goodbyes to them and soon enough they were gone, nothing of them left other than a speck that we knew was them, flying away off in the horizon. 'Stay safe you guys, you too Gray. Natsu… now begins the hard part. The waiting game that is about to ensue while this year passes. What are you up to, I wonder, Natsu?"

(POV Change to Natsu)

I look at the map of Fiore and throw a dozen magnetic dots at it. The dots fly at the map that is on the wall of the meeting room and then suddenly freeze slightly, redirecting to go to the correct city. I look at their resting places and groan, they are all over the place and I whine, "Why are they all so far away from here? And so far away each other? Ugh…"

"Damn, Mern are you sure these are right? One is almost next to Era and another next to Crocus? Those places are way too close for someone like Zeref…" Lucy said and Kurayami was nodding his head as well, agreeing with her.

"Unfortunately yes I am sure. He is extremely arrogant and believes that even that close to the council and the capital they won't catch him. He really is an annoying bastard. So what's the play then?" Mern said and everyone looked at me. 'Hmmm, there's too many places to look for him and he could move a lot, causing us to lose him. Hmmm, wait. Yeah that could work. Yeah! That'll work!'

"Ok, Kurayami, you and Gōsuto, you two can link your shadow dimensions, correct?" I asked and they both nodded at me. "Lucy you can teleport people too right? Rai?" I asked and Lucy immediately understood, while everyone just looked at me. "Ok, so here's what we'll do, Everyone who can teleport people will go with a group as support, and each group will hit one spot for some recon. There will be four groups, and then, since each place is clustered more or less in groups of three, they will go to each place and do the same as the first. Anyone finds him, you communicate via lacrima and tell everyone, then the person who can teleport will bring everyone to the place and we'll send Luce and Kurayami back. Then once they get back, they will send over Lumen Historie and we'll begin our assault. Any questions?" I looked at everyone and saw their assent to the plan and trust that I had mad the right choice.

"Ok, Luce your with me. Rai take Mern and Juvia. Gōsuto take Karr and Rogue. And Kurayami, you have Esoj and Nena. We leave now, but will be taking trains. Except for me and Luce, we'll be riding Igneel, everyone say the necessary goodbyes, and get Rames and tell him he probably should go home, this place won't be safe if we fail. This may be a one way trip, so be ready, because this might go south fast. But it's past the point where we can back out, so I hope you are ready. Go and meet outside in ten." I said and everyone nodded and ran off to do their things. I walked over to Lucy and grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze, letting her know I would be ok. "I'll be back again, I promise."

"I know, just never easy to say goodbye. At least I'll be there to say goodbye before I must go." She said and kissed my lips, an action I soon returned fervently and we stayed just like that for a few minutes, not wanting the moment to end.

But it did as I pulled away and put my forehead to hers, "Yeah, I know. But hey this might not even be the time yet, who knows if we even find him." I looked her in the eye and smiled, and she smiled back nodding. I pulled on her hand and led us outside. Everyone was waiting and I nodded to them, wishing them luck before saluting and beginning the motto we had come to know as the saying that defined all of us. "THOUGH WE MAY HAVE NO TRUE HOME WE ARE NEVER ALONE! THOUGH NO ONE MAY WANT US WILL DO WHAT IS NEEDED! THOUGH NO ONE MAY APPRECIATE WHAT WE DO WE WILL ALWAYS DO THE RIGHT THING! WE ARE THE FORSAKEN, THE FORGOTTEN, THE LOST, WE ARE THE RONIN! DEATH TO OUR ENEMIES AND TO THE EVER LASTING GLORY THAT AWAITS US IN THE FUTURE. LIVE! FIGHT! LIVE AND FIGHT FOREVER!" I looked at them as I climbed aboard Igneel and saluted one last time before we all went our separate ways, hopeful to see each other again. 'So now begins the wait, who will find him first. I hate The Waiting Game.'

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 **A/N: Here we go! The last set up chapter is done before the action begins! I am so sorry this took so long but I knew that for the past week I wanted to get this done but wanted it to be timed perfectly. And now here we are! I hope you guys liked it well enough and I wonder if anyone noticed last chapter had no name/title, which was intentional. The chapter was one where we see two sides of a coin beginning to reach a new point in life and become blank slates more or less, therefore the chapter had no title, it's place a blank. But who cares about that I just hope you guys had fun with this one! Remember,** **READ AND REVIEW, OR FAVORITE OR FOLLOW EVEN IF YOU SO PLEASE! ADIOS!**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 46: Found You!

 **A/N: And now let the action begin! This one may not be as action packed as the rest will be but there will be some action in this chapter. First shout out to brucie86 and sashaXmafuyuFOREVER for the review and a welcome shout out to our newest follower in startailsbomber! Thanks you three for the love shown and I hope that everyone enjoys this next chapter! ENJOY!**

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Next Day (Gōsuto POV)

I look at the window of the train and sigh deeply, sad that I didn't have the chance to say goodbye to Mei. 'Damn Natsu, how impatient can you be? Of course she had to be asleep and not hear me. Fuck, I hope this all goes according to plan. Mei, wait for me!'

I hear a groan next to me and see Rogue suffering from his motion sickness, "Damn man, I know this is part of being a dragon slayer but is it usually this bad?" I looked at him as he nodded his head and almost barfed twice trying to nod his head. "Tch, how pathetic. Come on man! Be a man and get over it! Calls himself a shadow mage…" I started grumbling to myself as Karr just laughed at him, I shook my head and looked outside again and saw that we had arrived at the first location and that it was a bustling city. We had arrived in Alcalypha, home to the business guild Love and Lucky, which was now supposedly funding Zeref's travels… much to Lucy's displeasure.

"Ok, Karr, you get Rogue and carry him out of here, and then start looking. You have the main town since you're a tracker, Rogue has the outskirts, and I am going to the guild here and checking to see if they really are funding him. If so, I'm blowing it up, so get ready for a quick exit. We have three hours, so make use of them as soon as the train stops. Understood?" I asked and looked at him to make sure he understood the plan and had no complaints, he didn't. "Ok, get ready, because here we go." The train stopped and the three of us quickly get off the train and run off to our designated search areas.

I travel using my shadows, being midday allows for me to have a lot of shadows readily available, and I soon arrived at Love and Lucky. I stopped at the front door and fixed my clothes, a nicer dress shirt so I look like I belong somewhat. I open the door after adjusting the shirt so it looked and more importantly felt comfortable, and immediately I see several others who looked like trouble. They are talking to the manager who seemed distressed, so I walked over close by pretending I needed to write a check. I carefully listen in and just what exactly they are talking about.

"No way, that's not nearly enough! How's the boss going to pay the costs of travel? No, the original price or we're gonna get mad." The leader or so I think he is says and glares at the manager who keeps the same look old on his face, cold and emotionless. When the manager refuses to move the thug sighs and grabs the manager and lifts him up high, threatening him, saying, "Pay up or else you're gonna get it."

"No, you can tell Zeref to leave us alone because we are done being his little bitches and lap dogs. Tell him to find a new donor or a new contributor because we here are sick and tired of it." I sat up and looked at him, and waited for one of them to make a move on the other one.

The thug moved first and he threw a punch at the manager, which I easily caught, emerging from the shadows. "Now, I don't think this would be a good idea. I mean he is the one giving you people money no? Oh he's not? Well is he or not?" I ask as I let go of his fist, "Well whatever, I'm just gonna kick your ass now." That was the last thing I said before they all charged at me, the leader the first one to attack.

He threw a wild punch and I dodged with my shadows, disappearing in them and make him miss and stagger forward from the momentum. I reappear and crack one of the thug's jaw and he goes flying into another one who was next to a wall and both end up in the wall. Then the last thug and the leader charge at me again and I laugh at them, as I disappear again and take them both by the head and knock their skulls together, knocking them out.

I stop to admire my work and chuckle, "So much for working for the black mage. Hey you, manager man. What do you know about Zeref?"

"Nothing really other than he needed a lot of money at some point and kept needing it, so he set up an account and we gave him money free of charge. That's all I know, and that is the truth." He said and I believed him, as he looked very serious at the moment, not quite nervous but definitely a bit anxious for sure.

"Ok, thanks for the help man. Now stop giving out free money and do your job. Charging people for services rendered to them. Now goodbye." I said and left the guild, with a disappointed look on my face, 'So we didn't find him here, oh well. Onto the next town over, Commie Town. I wonder how everyone else is doing, oh look Karr and Rogue, and it's almost time to go. Hmmm, this might just be a wild goose chase… I wonder what the others are doing, like Rai's team right now.'

(POV Change to Juvia)

I look at Mern and see him sleeping like a log, nothing fazing him like always. Rai was awake but was meditating and was not moving, as usual. I sighed and looked out the window, waiting to arrive to the place that was once Hargeon, but was now gone. 'I wonder if I'll see any of those bastards from Fairy Tail, if I do I might just jump the gun and kill them myself…'

"Calm down Juvia, you won't see any Fairies here, the town has been quarantined since Zeref destroyed it, no one is legally allowed to enter which is why it makes sense to look for him here I guess. Only death can survive in death." Rai said as he opened his eyes and looked right through me, almost like I wasn't there… his mind on the mission, amazing me with his laser like focus.

I nod and look outside to see the train stopping, just outside of Hargeon. "It is a good thing Rai-san knows the train operator and that he owed him or else it would be a very long walk." I say and stand up and shake Mern a bit so he would wake up.

"Alright, alright. I'm up, I'm up. Geez couldn't we have picked a grouping further away, I really wanted to get a good nap in before this mission. Recharge the batteries a bit, have a few good dreams…" He said and sighed wistfully and I sighed as well. Sleep was hard to come by in an independent guild that was always active.

"Enough daydreaming, let's get going." Rai said and we nodded, we all turned to the door and saw the operator waiting for us. "Wait here, this should be like the first stop, just a quick look over, and this one should be really quick since nothing here is alive anymore. So just wait ok?" The operator nodded and let us out, nodding at each of us to say good luck. We nodded back and exited the train, seeing nothing there except a crater that was black and dead looking.

"Juvia has a bad feeling about this… Everything is far too dark for her liking. Let us hurry so we can leave." I say and Rai nods his agreement.

"This is definitely his work alright, Zeref definitely did this, never seen anything so desolate unless he did it." Mern said and shivered a bit, remembering the atrocities that Zeref had undoubtedly committed. I shook my head and tried to stop myself from picturing the things he had undoubtedly had done and was saved from it by Mern asking a question, "Look, there is the hole that he would have used to travel and reach the bunker in. Let's go check it out."

We all nodded and followed Mern who had seen the hole and was correct about its purpose, it had torches all along the walls to light the way to our destination. We walk down the tunnel and light the torches along the way but every time I feel like I'm going to lose my stomach to the sights. On the floor are bodies, all of them obviously dead or maimed and none of them given any merciful deaths, "Juvia cannot believe this…"

"Sorry Juvia but this is Zeref. He kills everything in sight and does not know the meaning of mercy, these people are lucky that they even have bodies still, usually he destroys that and their chance to get into heaven." Mern said and I felt even more repulsed by Zeref, 'How could any one man delight so much in death like this one does? Does he really have to do all this?'

I see the last torch next to a door, readying myself for the possibility of the terror that is Zeref being here. But the terror never comes as he is not here, there is nothing here except for a table, and even that it is broken. "Damn he's not here. Looks like no one has for months now. Why was this place even a viable option anymore?" Rai whined and kicked the table out of frustration, we were zero for two now.

"Because he could have been hiding here as this place is somewhere no one will go to anymore, would have made a good hiding hole. But alas he was not here, and none of his stuff was either. Let's go we still have to go to Onibus Town still." Mern said and I nodded and we left the bunker, completely underwhelmed by the room that Mern had called, "His Favorite Bunker".

We left the room and went down the tunnel and exited it, once we were outside though, after letting our eyes adjust to the sun, we heard noises from behind us. "Mern-san, what is that noise?" I asked and turned around.

"Shit! It's his reanimation spell! He is able to reanimated dead bodies with it! Run! If they touch you and scratch or bite you your as good as dead! They're like Zombies! RUN!" Mern yelled and I saw the first one running out of there and then ran the other way myself, along with Rai.

Rai yelled, "Light Speed!" He sped up and grabbed a hold of me and Mern and we flew towards the train. But the zombies were extremely fast and closed in on us as we reached the train, "Get us moving! Now! Light Wall!" He yelled and a wall appeared and blocked the zombie things for a moment, but they soon broke it down and kept moving.

"SHIT! GET US OUT OF HERE! Thorn Thrust!" Mern yelled and his thorns cleared a lot of them, but more still kept coming, and were almost on us now.

"Water Nebula!" I yelled and two columns of water shot out my hands and hit the oncoming zombie things and pushed them back for a moment, but didn't stop them. They were almost within spitting distance, and one was even close enough to touch us when the train finally started moving and Mern cut off the arm that had reached out to touch Rai.

"Whew that was close!" Rai yelled and nodded to the operator who already knew our last stop for today.

Mern sighed and said, "Yeah, but it was also a dead end, man I hope the others are having better luck than we are…"

(POV Change to Esoj)

"Acero!" "Acero Espada!" we yelled in unison as a huge block of steel appeared and a chunk came to me and formed a sword in my hands. The reason we needed the weapons was because we were at our last location, Boa… as was magic enforcement, so now Kurayami was working on an escape plan while we held them off. I swung my sword down and cut down two of the enforcers and used the hilt to hit another one. Those not crushed by the giant block of steel were now making their way towards us and were running fast. "Acero Escudo! Acero Espada! Doble!" I yelled and a shield and two swords came flying towards us, I grabbed the shield and used it to crush an enemy who was charging at me into the ground. Nena jumped up and caught the two swords and began a flurry of attacks with them, wading her way into the throng of soldiers. "Update Kurayami!"

"Still working on it, turns out transportation is hard to come by here, but I think I might have found us something. Just hang on a bit longer!" Kurayami yelled and I groaned, knowing it would be a few minutes more.

"Pierdas Calientes!" Nena yelled and lava spouted from her hand and the entire group that was in front of her. "Cabron! There's too many! I can't keep up anymore! We have to use THAT technique!" She yelled and I nodded, 'This move is risky and we have barely any practice behind it, but oh well.'

I jumped to where she was cut some more of the soldiers down and grabbed her hand, and together we combined our magic and yelled, "Mundo, Cambia Clima! Fuego!" And the weather then changed, as clouds came from nowhere even though the day was bright and sunny before now. Then from the clouds came balls of fire that rained down on them and began to thin them out and burn them alive, 'But not kill them of course, that would be too far for simple idiots like these people.'

Then Kurayami called back to us and said, "I'm ready! But us a minute for our escape and I have our ride!" We nodded and joined hands once more and yelled, Mundo, Cambia Clima! Nieve!" The fire stopped and was replace by snow, but the snow was even colder than usual and froze the soldiers just with a touch. They would thaw out after we left so we did just that and booked it, seeing Kurayami and his transportation: a magic four wheeler.

"Good job Kurayami! Now let's go!" I said and pulled Nena into the four wheeler, heading off immediately. "Well, I have to say we have struck out. All three places, dead ends. Hear anything from anyone Kurayami?"

"Yeah, Rai's group ran into some trouble in Hargeon but have come empty, as has my son. Natsu is en route to his last location and has found nothing either. This plan is not looking to hot right now." Kurayami said and we all sighed, knowing it was foolhardy to believe it would be this easy.

"I hope Natsu finds something or else we're for a long waiting period, and lords know how impatient he gets." Nena said and we all nodded, praying he would find him soon.

(POV Change to Natsu)

"Ugh, are we there yet? I don't really know where Shi is yet and I already hate it!" Lucy whined and put a hand to her mouth, barfing over Igneel's side again. "Sorry Igneel, but you really should hurry…" She barfed again and I simply patted her back and rubbed it, trying to soothe her.

"YES. We are just about to arrive. Now please stop barfing on me please…" Igneel said and quickly descended to where he would drop us off and wait for us. "Hurry it up, I don't like the way this place feels."

"Yeah me neither, come on Luce." I said and took her hand as we entered the place where all the rich and famous people are buried, "Ugh, why did he have to hide out in the graveyard town?"

"Because his magic kills people?" Lucy said and I sighed, knowing she was right but amazed at how blunt she was right now. We walked into town for a bit and made our way to the local pub, hoping we would find a clue as to whether or not Zeref was there. We got our answer before that, as we saw a man who fit a very surprising description near the pub; Zeref's second in command nowadays, Lawhn Greer, Mern's oldest brother.

"Shit, it's that Lawhn guy! We found him! Zeref must be here, quick let's follow him to see where Zeref is hiding." I said excitedly, my hopes rising thanks to the new information I had. We stalked after him, keeping a good distance as we did not want him seeing us and we needed to make sure we could transport everyone here. We followed him and finally he stopped by a tomb cave that was marked by a very well known name, "Well shit. They're using an old Heartiphilia tomb for their base. Messed up mother fuckers." I said this and Lucy's grip on my hand tightened.

"Make sure you kill all of them very slowly, ok?" She said and got into position.

I pulled out the lacrima and tuned it correctly, then said into it, "Guys we found him! I repeat we found him he's in Shi! Lucy's teleporting you guys here now, so be ready!" I looked and saw Lawhn look around and shrug, the enter the tomb, the tomb closing shut after he went inside. 'We found you, Zeref. Now we will kill you and your demons.'

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 **A/N: Whew, it is done! I'm excited for the next chapter just like you guys, but… it will have to be Sunday I'm afraid. I'm far too busy tomorrow and will not be able to post a chapter so I am so sorry! But I hope you guys enjoyed this one and remember!** **READ AND REVIEW, OR FAVORITE OR FOLLOW EVEN IF YOU SO PLEASE! ADIOS!**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 47: It's a Trap!

 **A/N: Wow. Just amazed really. YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME! You can't see this but I do and that is the view count and you get set the high for the week yesterday, without there being an update! 47 of you combined to make this happen and not only that, there was two new followers in radishbumps and ellaskye520 and two new favoriters in radishbumps and mrady, and a review by brucie86! WOW! And if I can do simple addition, which is debatable sometimes, that is a full combination of ten! You know what that means. YUP DOUBLE CHAPTER DAY! OH and who read the last chapter? SO EPIC! BUT I DIGRESS AS ALWAYS, SO ENJOY THE FIRST OF TWO CHAPTERS!**

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(Natsu POV)

I stand up and look carefully to see the tomb closing and I look over to Lucy and nod, she nods back and begins to gather magical energy. Then she opens her eyes and they are glowing a bright gold, blinding me momentarily as she yells in a booming voice that is not her own, "Celestial Medium: Transport!" Then she puts her hands out and a bright light emits from them for a moment and suddenly eight lights, shaped like people, appear before her and the glow dims. From the eight lights came the entirety of Ronin, all eight mages alive and ready to go inside and finish our work.

"Ok, good work Luce. Now rest a moment and go back ok?" I said and she nodded, then I looked to everyone else and said to them, "Ok, everyone remember their part?" They all nodded and I nodded as well, "Ok, let's get going then!" Then I began to lead them down to the tomb until I had a strange feeling in my stomach and sniffed the air, holding my fist up to stop everyone.

"What's wrong boss?" Asked Esoj and I looked around and saw nothing necessarily wrong, just everything looked creepy. 'What was that?'

(POV Change to Zeref)

"Did the fool Dragneel take the bait?" I asked Lawhn and he nodded, a smirk on his face. "Good, tell the rune mages to throw up the barrier and the elite demons are to guard them." I said and Lawhn laughed and ran off, the plan working perfectly. "Now Natsu, there will be no chance of escape. Be ready, I will try to kill you and the only one capable of killing me is you. Our battle is now inevitable; no one is leaving Shi anytime soon." I said to myself and walked to the observation room and waited for the magic to happen.

(POV Change Back to Natsu)

I looked back and saw Lucy wave goodbye to me, then she lit up like a star and… nothing happened. I panicked and yelled to Gōsuto, "Gōsuto! Can you use your transportation magic to get out of here?!"

So Gōsuto tried to leave the area as well, but it was to avail, "WHAT THE FUCK?! Natsu! I think he knows we're here! It's a trap!" Sure enough the tomb opened up and out came hundred of demons and those weird zombie things Rai's group ran into back in Hargeon. "FUCK!"

"Defensive positions! LUCE! Call out some spirits! Preferably the big guns!" I yelled and lit my fists on fire and took point, and began mowing down the demons.

"Open Gates of the Lion, the Paladin, and the King! Leo, Arthur, and Spirit King!" She yelled and out came her three strongest spirits, the last two the strongest two in existence. 'Shit, I said call out the big boys but this is overkill.'

The trio charged into the fray and began mowing demons and zombies left and right, every which way they came they were promptly taken care of. "Hey you three! Can I leave the grunts to you guys?" I called out and they all nodded and motioned for us to go on ahead as the Spirit King yelled out, "Galaxia Blade!" and opened up a path for us to go through. Then Loke and Arthur flew into the gap and kept it open for us, taking down any demons that tried to get through. "Everyone else, come on! Let's get moving!"

"NATSU WAIT!" I heard Igneel yell in my mind and I look around and see him flying towards us, being chased by a lot of somethings, "I need your help! He sent these demon beasts after me and they're about as strong as an average dragon! I can't take them all by myself, I need you to help me out here! Hurry!" 'Shit! This is bad, I have to take care of family first!'

"Esoj, take point, I'll be right in after I finish up out here! Go!" I yell and see Esoj hesitate before looking around and seeing my family in trouble, then he nods and leads the group inside. I sigh and turn to the demons and enter my dragon force mode, wanting to end this quickly. The ground begins to crack under the pressure my dragon force exerts and many of the demons begin to choke on the pressure or simply fall unconscious. I charge at them jumping up in the air and yelling, "Hidden Fire Form - Crimson Lotus: Phoenix Blade!" which is my strongest attack and I land in the middle of all the demons, my flames crushing them and burning them right up. I release my dragon force mode so I didn't crush everyone inside with the surface that I was standing on which was now a crater where it had originally been a cemetery. I look and find at least three fourths of the demons are all gone now, nothing but ashes.

I turn to the spirits and nod a 'your welcome' and they nod back their thanks as they begin the mop up work. I turn and see Igneel closing in and I jump up and land on his back, standing upright and looking at these beasts that Zeref had sprouted, each one looking almost identical to a dragon but with scales that did not look as tough and necks that were very long but intimidating none the less. "Damn, they even look tough, Igneel you sure I'll be enough?"

"Do you mock the mighty Igneel and his equally mighty son? Of course we are more than enough! Now fight!" Igneel announced proudly and I nodded and lit my hands, preparing for battle. I waited until Igneel was close to one of them and jumped off of him and onto the beast's back, and exerted my power over it. Apparently it is a close dragon imitation as my dragon force mode quickly subdues it and it now obeys whatever I tell it to do, using merely my thoughts.

'Ok, take me to three on the left! Igneel has the ones on the right. Charge!' I ordered and it did as it was told, flying us towards the three on the left who looked shocked that one of their own was dominated so easily. I chuckled at their reaction and took the chance to light my hand with dragon force fire and it formed a sword that as big as a skyscraper, "Hidden Fire Form- Hell's Executioner Sword!" 'Get us close to them!' I ordered and he did just that and began fighting with the one he got the closest to, then I jumped off and ran across his opponents back and jumped up and swung the fire sword. I connected with my target which was above the one who's back I had used as a springboard and hit its neck, burning through his weak scales and cutting it's head clean off. The head falls as do I until I use my magic fire foot jetpack spell and shot up the other one who was at a complete loss at what it should do. I smirk at it's confusion and charge at it hoping to catch it off guard, but alas he recovered and avoided my sword that I had swung up trying to get it to join it's headless friend. Then I threw the sword up at the beast's chest and the sword hit its mark, sticking into the beast's chest and ending its short run at life. The sword was still solid, even though I threw and I glided over to the beast that was free falling and took the sword back.

I look and saw that the beast I had dominated had won its little struggle, holding its enemy's neck and head in its mouth. 'Good work now come back over here and pick me up. I get the feeling that wasn't the last of them.' And I was right, three more came from nowhere and began flying at me, looking pretty mad about their friends being killed. My beast threw the head in it's mouth at one and began grappling with it, causing me to sweat drop and sigh nervously, 'Um, ok you got him then. These two will be mine.'

"Hidden Fire Form- Hell's Fire Lance!" I yelled and the sword changed into multiple lances that while still quite large. I picked one up and used my fire to boost myself up and got to eye level with one of the beast, who clawed at me. I stopped his claws by stabbing his paw with the lance I had in my hand and it jerked it away, allowing me a perfect shot at its heart. I threw a lance and it hit the mark, the beast screaming in pain, but did not fall immediately so I picked up another lance from my back, where I had put the others, and threw another and it landed in the exact same spot, going right through the first and into the beast's heart. The beast cried out for a moment before it's scream became soundless and it fell to the ground, landing with a thud. I turn to see the other one now directly flying at me and all I have time to do is yell, "Hidden Fire Form - Crimson Lotus: Phoenix Blade!" the lances disappear but the fire of rebuke covers me instead and I fly at the beast, the fire forming a sword around me. I fly right at the beast and through its open mouth at an upward angle, hitting the beast's brain and killing it instantly. I look and see that my beast won again but a cost this time, on of its wings had a hole in it and it went down to the ground landing without a sound, 'Huh, what the fuck?'

When it landed, it landed on a blade. The Spirit King's blade and was now dead. "Spirit King! What the fuck man? I had it under my control you idiot! He wouldn't have hurt you!"

"Look where he was going!" He said and so I did and saw that underneath him was Lucy and I immediately understood.

"Oh. Never mind then! Good work!" I yelled down and felt something was off, so I looked to where Igneel was, and saw the problem.

He had taken down three of the six he was fighting, but the other three had ganged up on him. Now one had its claws in Igneel's neck while another had its teeth in Igneel's neck. The last one was hovering near him but had already done damage to Igneel, holding a piece of Igneel's right wing in it's mouth. "IGNEEL!" I yelled and flew over to where he was and lined myself up one of the beasts on his neck and yelled, "Hidden Fire Form - Crimson Lotus: Phoenix Blade!" I picked up speed and went right through the beast's stomach, burning his inside's up like a forest fire. The beast fell and let go of Igneel. The other beast saw its partner die and let go of Igneel who began to fall to the ground, unable to stay afloat now due to his destroyed wing. I turned to the two remaining beasts and cracked the bones in my neck and motioned for them to come at me. They fell for the bait and came flying at me, so I got into position and yelled, "Hidden Fire Form - Crimson Lotus: Phoenix Blade: Wings!" and the fire of rebuke coated my arms instead of my body, and fly in between the two beast. I flew in between their necks and since my arms were now wing blades, or wings that were made of blades, I cut off their heads in one clean sweep.

The now headless beasts fell to the ground and landed next to Igneel, who was breathing heavily and was in obvious pain. I slowly descended to where Igneel was and landed softly, my heart breaking into a million pieces seeing the pain Igneel was in. "Dad…" I said quietly and heard someone walk up next to me and saw that it was Lucy, whose spirits had long since defeated the demons. She put a hand on my shoulder and had tears in her eyes, understanding what this meant: Igneel's days of flying were now over, as were his days as the Mighty Igneel, King of the Fire Dragons. I walked up to him and put my hand on his head and whispered to him, "I'm so sorry Dad, just hang in there, Lucy will have Virgo heal you right up. Just hang on."

"Natsu… why can't I feel my wing?" Igneel asked and I looked into his eyes and saw something I had never seen before: fear. "Natsu! Why can't I feel my right wing?!" He asked slightly more panicked as I had yet to answer him and he looked me in the eye. I looked at him for a moment but couldn't hold his gaze and looked away, tears staining my eyes. "Oh, I see. So… its… its…" He started but couldn't bring himself to finish his sentence.

"Yes you old fool. Your right wing is gone." Said a melodic voice and I turned to see Grandine there, but her words did not match her demeanor or her eyes. "I am sorry my old friend, but it looks like your reign as the king of the fire dragons is over." She said and Igneel finally mustered the courage to look at his wing and saw that it was true.

He let out a mighty roar, but instead of anger behind the roar, there was only sadness, as he knew he was a cripple and no longer welcome among his fellow dragons. 'A dragon with no wings is just an overgrown lizard.' Is what he would say and I finally understood what that meant, their wings separated them and made them dragons, without them they really were lizards again.

Lucy came next to me and whispered in my ear, "You need to go. They still need you down there and it looks like we can still get Lumen Historie in to Shi, we just can't leave here. Now go." I looked at her and she nodded and took my spot next to Igneel.

"Yes. Natsu you must go, they need you now more than ever. Go, I have Grandine here she will look after me as will Luce. NOW GO!" Igneel yelled and I looked at him. He had pushed back his sadness for a moment and was giving me the look that always said to do my job.

"Ok, dad. I'll be right back…" I said and made my way to the tomb only to see that the door was closed now, so I pressed the button that Lawhn had pressed but the door did not open. "What the fuck…?" I then lit myself up again and got back into my dragon force mode and yelled, "Hidden Fire Form - Crimson Lotus: Phoenix Blade!" I flew at the door and hit it hard, but yet again nothing happened to the door. Instead writing appeared on it and I knew what it was, "RUNES! I'M STUCK OUT HERE!" As I yelled that Lucy came running over and saw that I was right and her eyes grew wide as she read the runes, _'None shall now enter the tomb of the Heartiphilias as long as the Black Mage Zeref lives.'_ I looked at her and she shook her head, she couldn't get it open on her own, "Fuck…" I said and plopped myself down on the ground as I knew we were fucked… well at least everyone inside of the tomb was. 'Gods, help them'

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 **A/N: Well shit, another plot twist. Hahaha… please don't hurt me! I will only accept tomatoes being thrown at me but please no rocks, swords, arrows, or anything else that can actually hurt me. Words are ok, but the arc title should have given it away, Natsu has no desire to get revenge against Zeref, but someone else does, two people do actually so I think we all know who will be fighting him. The second chapter will be up later on today so be on the lookout! Oh and i wonder if anyone noticed the Star Wars reference in the title, if not then you should look at it and if you did but don't understand it then you have not lived and should watch Star Wars episode six. We are also starting a new combination of ten obviously so. Remember! READ AND REVIEW, OR FAVORITE OR FOLLOW EVEN IF YOU SO PLEASE! ADIOS!**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 48: Brothers

 **A/N: Did I say later today? I meant right now! If you are trying to skip ahead instead of reading the last chapter do not do that! The last chapter was all Natsu fighting so go back! And if you are new to the story don't even bother trying to read from her you'll just be confused, go back to the first chapter and start there. Trust me. To those still on this chapter, ENJOY!**

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(Mern POV)

"Esoj, take point, I'll be right in after I finish up out here! Go!" I hear Natsu yell as I see Igneel being chased by a bunch of Zeref's dragon beasts, 'Not quite as strong as a real dragon but very close. ' I look to Esoj who nods to Natsu and leads the rest of us inside, all of us piling in after him.

We run down the stairs as fast as possible and reach the bottom soon after, and hear a loud sound behind us. "What was that?" Rai asked and Juvia who was bringing up the rear went back up the stairs quickly and we heard a loud gasp.

She ran back down and looked pale, and said, "The door has closed. Juvia tried to open it with her magic but the door is protected by runes, there is no way out!"

Everyone cursed under their breaths as we knew that the plan had gone to shit without Natsu there to lead us and fight Zeref for us. "Ok, everyone listen up! Here's the new plan!" Esoj said loudly and everyone looked at him, albeit a bit skeptical of what he had thought up. "Ok, Mern. You take care of your brother, you said you two are basically clones of each other and are at the same level in terms of power so you should be able to do it."

'Huh, for once I like his plan. Alright Lawhn, you cocky bastard, I hope you can say hi to Mard for me.' I look at Esoj as I think to myself and nod, agreeing with his plan and praising his memory skills, I had only told him that once, when I first met the Ronin in Naito.

"Ok, then Juvia, Rai, Rogue and Karr will find the rune mages and take them out. Meanwhile Gōsuto, Nena, and I will take care of Zeref." He said, and that last part he spat out Zeref's name and looked angry just saying it, but looked… excited? 'Wait, that's right. Zeref destroyed his hometown, so he probably wants some revenge.'

"Alright everyone, go!" He said and everyone went their own way, I followed the rune problem team as I knew that Lawhn would be near them protecting Zeref's plans like he always did as Zeref's personal bodyguard. We ran for a bit before we saw what we were looking for, a door that was heavily guarded by all of Zeref's elite demons. And as I had guessed, Lawhn was there too.

"Huh? Mern? You fucker, is that you? Tch, traitor!" Lawhn said as he saw me and glared at me. I returned his icy stare and snarled at him, not like he ever cared what I had done before.

"Yes, I betrayed Zeref. You wanna know why? Because I saw the truth! He doesn't care about any of us! He only wants to use us up and then will throw us aside. How is that any way to live?" I asked him and looked at the other demons but they didn't seem to care at all, they were still entranced by Zeref's power.

"Ha! That's only for the failures like you! Now, come! I know why you people are here, so let's dance!" Lawhn said and got into his fighting stance, I sighed knowing talking was useless and got into the same stance he was in. Then I charged and the others followed me and took on the demons gathered there, while Mern and me began to fight. "Thorns!" We both yelled and thorns shot out of the ground and collided with each other, stopping themselves before they even got close to us. "Thorn Sword!" I yelled and thorns shot out of my hand and formed into a sword.

I charged at him as he looked mildly amused at my ingenuity, using my thorns to create a sword. He put his hand and he yelled, "Thorn Bullet!" and thorns came flying at me like bullets. I had to stop charging and start avoiding them, deflecting what I could with my sword. But even that was not enough, as some of the thorn bullets hit me on my shoulders and arms. 'Fuck, I forget how fast he is with everything. Damn Zeref for giving us all one trait we were superior at. Mard had the useless one with intelligence, I got brute strength, and Lawhn here got speed. Shit!' I was broken out of my reverie as Lawhn used his great speed and got in my face, and put his hand right next to my chest, 'FUCK!' and he yelled, "Thorn Bomb!"

A massive explosion came from his hand and sent me flying back, but surprisingly the explosion was small and weaker than I thought it would be. 'Huh? What was that? That was way to weak… Wait now I remember he's just way faster than I am, not as strong as me too! Ok, now I just have to catch him or get in close and stay close, that way I can use my strength!' I looked up from where I landed and saw that I was not that far away from him, "What that all you got? Come on, Zeref's personal bodyguard and you can't even hurt a 'failure' like me?" I taunted and saw that I got to him, his pride was way too big for his own good and he charged at me. He was on me quickly but I was ready and had my fist waiting for him to arrive, and I swung right before he got there and hit him square in the jaw, and he went flying into a wall. 'Yup, I have to let him come to me, then attack him at the right moment. That plan should work.'

He got up slowly and I laughed heartily, "What, that all you got? Come on I thought you were fast? Tch, I guess not!" My taunt worked in making him angry but instead of charging at me he simply pointed his finger at me and yelled, "Thorn Sniper!" And suddenly a thorn bullet came flying at me, fast approaching my head, 'Shit!' I dropped to the ground and the bullet flew over me, but then Lawhn was there as well.

'Perfect!' I thought and, laying on my back, kicked at his leg and made contact with his knee, and Lawhn buckled from the strike. I jumped back up and punched him in the jaw, causing his head to snap to the side and I punched him in the gut this time. He lurched forward from the force of the punch and I used that moment to deliver an uppercut to his chin, which sent him flying into the roof. He hit the roof and came back down to the floor and landed with a thud, and he didn't move for a moment. 'What? That it already? Tch, I knew he was weak but I though he had the same magical power as me… I guess his body is too frail.'

I turned and saw that the others were finishing up the demons, I began to walk over to them to help speed things up. But then I heard some moving and saw Lawhn, bloodied and battered, get up and yell at me, "Thorn Time Bomb!"

'Fuck! When did he do that?!' Was the last thing I thought before my shoulder exploded and I was sent flying away, crashing into a wall. 'Fuck, my shoulder! Gah! He must have planted it when he hit me with those bullets earlier! FUCK MY SHOULDER!' I looked at my shoulder and saw the skin was gone basically, leaving my bones bare to the world, the muscles burned as well. "FUCK!" I yelled and looked to Lawhn who was panting heavily now, tired after the beating I gave him and from using such a costly spell. 'I could try and take him at distance but he would probably just dodge it. I need to get back in close to him again, but how? And once I do, how do I fight with only one shoulder? Wait, I'll use that spell!'

"Thorn Cover!" I yelled and my body became encased by thorns, safe from most attacks and covering up my shoulder and beginning the healing process. "Hey Lawhn, you look a little tired there. You alright or did the 'failure' punch you in the face too hard? What's wrong? I thought you were faster than that but even my slow ass fists keep hitting you." I taunted and he glared at me, and stood up a bit more upright so he didn't look any more pathetic than he already did.

He looked at me and I looked at him, both of us staring each other down and not noticing that everyone else was already done fighting and was now watching. No one dared move though because they wanted to see just how this would turn out. Lawhn made the first move, yelling "Thorn Sword!" and came charging at me, I answered his challenge to a sword duel and yelled, "Thorn Sword!" And recalled my sword and brought it up into a defensive position, but I was too slow as he came and ran by me, slicing my side open through my body armor as his sword was very sharp and I yelled out in pain.

He stopped running and turned around, coming at me again and swung his sword at me at a high speed. I blocked it this time, but barely and he began attacking me with his sword at a ridiculous speed. I barely was able to keep up and block his attacks but I did it for each one of his attacks, the longer he kept coming at me the slower he got. 'Good, he's getting tired. Just a bit more and I should be able to finish this.' I let him keep up his onslaught and he just kept coming at me, not stopping but definitely getting slower and losing the force behind his attacks. He swung one last time and then I struck, parrying his sword out of the way and then striking down with my own sword into his stomach. I pierced his stomach and what were most likely vital organs and he howled in pain.

I pulled my sword out and put it right next to his neck as he fell to his knees from the pain. "Wait! Mern, come on man, I know we don't always get long but you're my brother. You wouldn't kill your own brother would you?" He asked and I looked at him shaking my head.

"My, my, Zeref's personal bodyguard and self-proclaimed strongest among the Greer family, begging for his life? Haha, yes this is what vindication feels like! You and Mard were both just so arrogant and smug weren't you? Always kissing up to Zeref and E.N.D., always making me look bad in front of them so you could get ahead of me because I was the embodiment of brute strength, well guess what? They won't be able to save you now. No one will, and guess what else? I know the secret of the family." I said taunting him as he looked up at me in surprise when I said the last part. "Yes I found the scrolls, and now I know. Kill a member of Greer, and take his power. It's a bit barbaric but hey, I'm a neanderthal according to you and Mard, so it falls right into my style. Goodbye brother."

I swung my sword and cut his head off, clean off and it landed next to the door I wanted. I looked at everyone who looked at me confused and I was confused as well, until a bright light came from Lawhn's dead body. The light engulfed me and I felt his power flowing through me, I felt faster and I looked down at him. "Thanks Lawhn, you are a good brother for giving me your power. Now everyone else, let's bring down the rune barrier." I said and walked to the door, everyone else following me.

I opened the door and saw it was a single mage that was doing it all by himself. With the sword I still had in my hand I ran up to him and stabbed him in the back, piercing his heart and bringing down the runes. I looked to Juvia and Rai and said, "Go make sure the barrier is down now and get Natsu. Rogue and Karr, you're with me, we'll be supporting the three fighting Zeref." I said and then felt the ground shake, the source being from where the three were went off to. "Uh, we should probably hurry." I said and everyone nodded and ran off to so their jobs, we ran to where the shaking had come from and see a door there.

I try and open the door but can't, as there is no doorknob or anything we could use to open it with. I try and push it open, but feel myself getting nowhere as the door is sealed from the inside. "Fuck, where's Natsu?" I asked out loud and saw Rogue shrug, Karr sniffed the air and then shrugged.

Then I heard footsteps and looked to see Natsu and the others running towards us and he yells, "Good work on bringing down the runes! I'm guessing Gōsuto, Nena, and Esoj are in there?" He asked and we all nodded and he got to work, seeing as the door was no use for us. He used his fire and melted the door down, but was then stopped as piles of dirt came from the opening and buried him underneath it.

"What the fuck? ESOJ! What are you doing? He must have put earth in the way so no one could get in there, but now he's trapped! Fuck, I just hope that he was able to figure out that he could get Lumen Historie in, or else he's as good as dead." Natsu said and we all looked at the door, praying that he did and that they would be ok.

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 **A/N: Whew! I'm done for the day! That was crazy and as we can see, Esoj is definitely gonna try and get his revenge now, even if it kills him. Well I hope you guys enjoyed the action, and I hope you guys are ready, because tomorrow is the day! Gōsuto, Nena, and Esoj versus Zeref! Who will win? Will they all survive? Who knows? Oh wait, I do! Hahahaha and I'm not saying a word. Oh and I hope no one realized but after looking it up apparently Lucy's last name is spelled Heartifilia not Heartiphilia, so yeah thanks for telling me… Same with Greer, it's actually Geer apparently, so yeah I can spell well obviously. Hahahaha, oh well.** **Remember! READ AND REVIEW, OR FAVORITE OR FOLLOW EVEN IF YOU SO PLEASE! ADIOS!**


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 49: La Venganza es Dulce

 **A/N: Sorry for the no update yesterday, but wow, no tomatoes, or anything at all actually. A quiet two days so I'm guessing you guys are ok with how it's going but might not after this piece of news. The story will be ending in ten chapters, maybe even less, could end in six chapters. I'm not really sure but I know the end is close now, so yeah get pumped for the end! Now onto the big battle, the big showdown, the first true arc climax! Enjoy chapter 49!**

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(Esoj POV)

"Esoj, take point, I'll be right in after I finish up out here! Go!" I hear Natsu yell as I see Igneel being chased by a bunch of Zeref's dragon beasts, 'What the fuck? Are those real dragons or demons?' I wonder and nod my head and lead everyone inside, formulating a plan in my head to buy Natsu time. 'Damn, not only is our number two out but our number one is delayed now, what else could go wrong?'

The answer came as soon as everyone was inside, and we reached the bottom of the stairs, we heard a loud sound behind us. "What was that?" Rai asked and Juvia who was bringing up the rear went back up the stairs quickly and we heard a loud gasp.

She ran back down and looked pale, and said, "The door has closed. Juvia tried to open it with her magic but the door is protected by runes, there is no way out!"

Everyone cursed under their breaths as we knew that the plan had gone to shit without Natsu there to lead us and fight Zeref for us. "Ok, everyone listen up! Here's the new plan! Ok, Mern. You take care of your brother, you said you two are basically clones of each other and are at the same level in terms of power so you should be able to do it." I say and see Mern think about and nod, so I continued, "Ok, then Juvia, Rai, Rogue and Karr will find the rune mages and take them out. Meanwhile Gōsuto, Nena, and I will take care of Zeref." I couldn't help but smirk a bit, knowing my chance at revenge that I never thought I would get was now coming, 'Huh, we may not have Natsu and Lucy, but this works out for Nena and me too, we get our shot to kill the bastard who destroyed our home. La venganza is so close I can taste it! Que rico!'

"Alright everyone, go!" I yelled and everyone split into the two groups I had assigned them to and we ran in the opposite direction, guessing Zeref would be away from where the rune mages were. We kept running until we reached a small door, it looked insignificant and like there was no way it was important, until we got up close to it. The door was made of pure gold and silver, and was adorned with several different gems that were all rare and hard to find on any legal market. 'Yeah he's definitely in here, arrogant little bastard.'

I motion to Nena and she nods, she moves in front of the door putting her hand to it and prepared to melt it down. But then the door instead just opened ominously and we all look at each other slightly confused. A moment later I shrug and motion to Gōsuto to take point for a moment, and he goes in first followed by me, then Nena. What we find surprises us as we find a massive room, the ceiling high up and the room itself open and bigger than the arenas we created at Fairy Tail.

I look around and see the man I hate with every fiber of my body standing in the middle of the room, The Black Mage Zeref. "Tch, who are you three? I was expecting Natsu. How disappointing." He said and I felt my jaw tighten and I clench my fists as tightly as I can, "Oh, you seem to know me, but I don't recognize you. What are your names?"

"Esoj Anoren, El Padre Naturaleza from La Empieza." "Nena Anoren, La Madre Naturaleza from La Empieza." "Gōsuto, The Ghost of Naito." We all say and look at Zeref as he nods with understanding of just exactly who we are.

"Ah, the trio that have been traveling with Natsu and Lucy Dragneel. And yes, I know they are married, everyone does after your attack on Fairy Tail. But you two said you were from La Empieza? Hahahaha, perfect. Saves me the trouble of going back there and killing more people for the information I desire." He said and I had to restrain from attacking him then and there, I had to wait until we were all ready. "Now tell me, how did your country's founders create Lumen Historie or what is the owner change incantation? Just tell me and I promise to make your death quick and as painless as possible."

"Ha! Like hell we would tell you! Gōsuto get the link ready! The runes probably are stopping us from leaving but not bringing things here, so get to work!" I say and look at Nena and mouth 'A' and she nods, getting into position.

"Acero!" She yells and a giant block of steel appears above Zeref and falls down, he merely dodges and looks at us.

"Was that supposed to work on me or something?" He asks mockingly and laughs at us. He doesn't realize this part of the plan.

"No, but this will. Acero Balas!" I yell and parts of the steel chip off of the block and turn into bullets and fly at Zeref.

He simply put his hands together making some odd sign and says, "Repulsion!" The bullets stop flying towards him and instead turn around fly back at the block, lodging themselves inside of it. 'What? What kind of magic does he have…' Then I am flabbergasted as the block begins to decompose itself and slowly turns into nothing but dust. 'What the fuck?! What was that?! Do all his spells kill everything it touches?'

"Surprised? Hahaha, yes my magic can kill anything it touches, ANYTHING. Even something that is already dead, like you three." He said and began cackling at us. I looked at Nena who looked at me and we both knew this was going to be tough, tougher than anything we had ever done. But not impossible, we still had one ace in the hole.

"Gōsuto! How's the link going?" I ask and see him sitting cross-legged, focusing intently.

"I can't say, the link is harder to establish since there is no mental link and I have to actually find him now. I'd say hold out for at least five more minutes, but I'm not even sure if that will be enough. Just hold on tight for a bit please!" He says and I look to Nena who nods, knowing this wasn't looking good for us.

I sigh and look her in the eyes, and say, "Five minutes? Ok, we'll buy you ten. Come on Nena, let's do this! All we have to do is not get hit too much by his magic, a direct hit will definitely mean the end for us." I said and Nena nodded at me and we both turned to find Zeref looking at us mildly amused.

"What, you guys planning something? Hahaha, like it will even matter, I will kill you guys regardless of what you guys do. Now come and fight me!" He said and threw the coat he had on off and got into a fighting stance that I had never seen before and I had fought a lot of mages up to this point in my life. He was leaning forward with his hands together, his hands together like he would cast a spell at any moment.

I sigh and look to Nena and mouth 'L' and she smiles at the idea and we turn and charge at Zeref, going at him head on. He looks at us surprised by our boldness but he doesn't move, instead he just straightens up and waits.

"Pierdas Calientes!" Nena yells and lava flies from her hand and go directly towards Zeref, who simply blocks it with his magic and the lava turns to dust. However right when he was doing this I had used her attack as a distraction and got behind Zeref, and yelled, "Lanzallamas!" and fire spewed from my mouth. Zeref noticed this and cursed under his breath, and rolled out of the way surprising me. 'Why didn't he just use his magic and block it? He obviously saw me and could have but instead he dodged it. Does that mean there's like an interval he must have in between spells? Hmmmm, let's test this theory.'

I look at Nena and mouth 'Pistola' and she looks at me confused. I just give her a look that says trust me and she nods, as I charge at Zeref and yell, "Lanzallamas!" again. This time he does use his magic to turn my fire into nothingness, but Nena use that time to launch her attack as she yells, "Pistola de Fierro!" and balls of iron fly at Zeref. He barely has time to react and is forced to dodge, Nena realizes why I had her do that maneuver and attacks again yelling, "Pistola de Fuego!" and fire balls go towards Zeref, but this time he blocks it with his magic and looks at us, trying to see if we knew the flaw in his magic. 'So he can't use his magic immediately after casting a spell, there's at least a five second interval, but it may be shorter. We'll just have to find out, but this is important, we now know he isn't entirely invincible.'

"Three seconds." He said and I looked at him, wondering if he knew what I was thinking, "You have at least three seconds to strike me after I use a spell, that' it. Better time your attacks well, or else this will be a really short fight." 'Fuck, three seconds? That's it? Damn, our attacks will have to be extremely precise. Lucky me, I'm fighting with my partner in crime, we can make three seconds work.'

I look at Nena and motion with my eyes, making a dome shape and she understands, and yells, "Acero!" And another block of steel appears. This time before anyone can react I jump back along with Nena and yell, "Acero Carcel: Cien Paredes! " The block morphs into a dome and has one hundred walls in it, and it traps him inside.

We land a good distance away, and look at each other, and Nena says, "Cabron, we are thoroughly fucked. Three seconds is barely any time and if we don't get the timing just right, we won't last very long. He's already proven he's strong, maybe even stronger than the two of us combined. We should us the forbidden technique here." She says, doubt in her eyes, and my eyes feel like they're ready to pop out of my head.

"No way! That technique was forbidden for a reason! Just using it successfully shorten one's lifespan by thirty years! And if we mess up the timing, we will die! We can't use that technique, ever! We have too much to live for, we have a kid now! We can beat him conventionally, we can time our attacks perfectly, and we are Los Padres de la Naturaleza! We are called that because we can do anything if we do it together now come on! Stand and fight with me!" I said and immediately the doubt left her eyes and she stood with me, her hopes swelling like a balloon. I look over to Gōsuto and see him sweating a bit, the concentration he has amazing. "Gōsuto, how are we looking? Any closer?"

"Yes, I found my way to Naito via the shadows and I'm looking for the base, but I still need another few minutes, I know I'm asking a lot here since it's already been ten minutes, but still I need more time!" He replied opening his eyes and closing them immediately after, pouring all his concentration and effort back into his job.

I nodded and said, "We'll buy you another ten then. Let's go Nena!" She nodded and we both turned to find Zeref making his way out of the dome prison, the final wall turning into dust, looking none too pleased.

"Alright that's it! I'm killing you slowly now! Annoying little bastards!" He yelled and charged at us, obviously very angry.

He ran at us and I made a gun with my hands and saw Nena nod, she ran at him and yelled, "Pistola de Aceite!" Oil shoots out of her hand at Zeref who blocks it before she yells, "Pistola de Aceite!" again and this time it hits him in the face. He is forced to close his eyes and I make my move, yelling, "Lanzallamas!" and fire hits him in the face as he can't see that I'm right in front of him. He howls in pain and uses his magic to put out the fire and I see that he didn't take any damage from that attack. 'Fuck! I hit him dead on with my fire with oil on his face and he isn't even hurt! What the fuck… wait. He's almost immortal right now. I guess we'll have to stall a bit longer then.'

I make a stabbing motion and Nena nods and yells, "Acero!". Yet another block appears and I yell out, "Acero Espada: Doble! Acero Cuchillo!" And two swords and a small knife come from the block, the swords come to me and the knife goes to Nena. I charge at Zeref, as does Nena but from the opposite side and I attack him with one sword which he blocks and turns to dust, but Nena comes from behind and tries to stab him. He saw it coming though and kick behind himself, hitting Nena right in the gut. She staggers back a bit and I bring the sword in my other hand down on him hoping I'm not too slow. But it didn't even matter as Zeref side steps me and punches me in the kidney, which causes me to howl in pain and back up from him so he doesn't hit me with his magic.

Nena this time makes the first move and charges at him and swings her knife at him, but he merely dodges all the slashes ease. I come up behind him and swing my remaining sword diagonally at his back, but he dodges my swing too flipping over me. I grab my sword by the hilt and throw it up at him, hoping that he would be too preoccupied to stop it. I was wrong as, mid flip, he blocks the sword and it turns to dust. But what neither of us saw was that Nena had gotten behind us and was waiting for Zeref to land. When he did and turned around, she stabbed him right in the gut, jumping back as soon as she did so he couldn't touch her.

He howled in pain for a moment, then pulled the knife out of his gut and made it turn to dust. I looked at his feet, hoping to see a pool of blood beginning to form but I saw nothing of the sorts. The floor beneath his feet was dry as a bone, his face told us how he felt, and his face mirrored his attitude of pure annoyance. "You know, I gave you guys a chance to give up, have a slightly less painful death, but yet you ignored me. Now you guys have drawn my ire, and like I hear Natsu is, drawing my ire is not wise." Zeref said and began to move his hands, beginning to cast his spell.

'Fuck! Gotta get away from him now!' I jump back as far as I can from Zeref and keep jumping back until I'm next to Gōsuto and look at him. He's sweating like he's in a sauna and his face is scrunched up like he's constipated. I hesitate before asking him, "Hey Gōsuto, how are we looking.."

His eyes shoot open and he smiles at me, saying, "Link established! It should take me another minute to bring Lumen Historie here to where we are, but we should be able to do it now." I look at Zeref and he's still preparing his spell, not having moved just yet and I look back to Gōsuto who touches his head and worry replaces his grin. "Umm, Esoj you might wanna seal us in here, Lumen is being a tad bit restless. It will take me longer to bring her here. Call Nena over here, I might need her real quick."

I knew he wasn't telling me everything but I had no choice but to do as he said, "Nena! Come here!" I yell and Nena looks at me and nods, running over to me and I tell her, "We need to seal the room, now." She nods and shrugs, asking what to use.

"Tierra. Natsu won't be able to burn through it and Juvia cant just wash it all away. It will keep this room secure." I say and she nods, then turns to the door's direction and yells, "Tierra Firma!" And hard dirt, almost bedrock hard, shoots out from hands and goes everywhere in the room where there is a wall, and I finish the combination yelling, "Tierra Carcel!" The dirt surrounds the entire room, adding another barrier to the room and securing us inside.

I look at Gōsuto and he nods and opens a shadow dimension right in front of us, saying, "Ok, Nena I need you to pour as much water as you can into this dimension, apparently Lumen is somewhat overheating right now. Now hurry, my dad is about to send it to us!" Nena nodded and put her hands out and yells, "Agua Lluvia!" and rain clouds came into his dimension and poured down rain, quickly flooding the dimension. "Good, now get ready because here comes Lumen. Oh shit! Here comes Zeref!" He said and quickly begin muttering the incantations necessary to fully link the dimensions and I turn to see Zeref running to us and putting his hands together.

'Fuck! We need to stall him for a minute!' "Nena! Give me some steel! Make that a lot of steel!" I yell at her and she nods, then yells, "Acero!" "Acero Carcel: Cien Millones Paredes!" I yell after her block of steel appears and it morphs into a prison similar to the last one, but now has one hundred million walls to help us stall him. I hunch over a bit, catching my breath as this spell was a big one and Nena is tired from creating a block that was big enough to create the prison.

"Gōsuto, ETA. That won't hold him for very long and I want Lumen here when he does get out." I look and can hear the walls falling very quickly now and I look back to Gōsuto and say, "Like I said, hurry!"

"Thirty seconds!" He said and I looked back to hear that he was already close to getting out. "Twenty Seconds!" I look and see that the last wall is disappearing and Zeref is now visible to everyone, he looks very angry. "Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five…" Zeref sees us and forms hand signs and casts a spell yelling very angrily, "Rejection!" and a black wave comes towards us at a high speed. "Four!" The wave gets even closer and I'm not sure we're going to make it. "Three!" The wave is almost halfway to us and I begin to see my life flash before my eyes. "Two!" I see the wave three fourths of the way here and I see the memories of meeting Nena when we were younger, I see the memory of meeting Warrod and his care of us, the memory of seeing him leave, the memory of seeing La Empieza after Zeref had destroyed it, and lastly of finding out Nena was pregnant, and I closed my eyes knowing this was the end. "ONE!" I begin to apologize to everyone as the wave is within spitting distance and I see E.J.'s face in front of me, and a single tear drops down my cheek and I say my final apology for being a shitty father and never truly getting to know him and teach him magic like I promised. I wait fro death to embrace me but I feel nothing of the sort, instead I feel this eerie feeling that I always feel when I am around Lumen Historie. I open my eyes and see a bright light in front of me and is making its way to where Zeref was when he cast the spell.

'Gōsuto did it! Lumen is here!' the bright light stops suddenly and shines even brighter, blinding me for a moment before I hear a loud howl of pain. I can finally open my eyes and see that Lumen has engulfed Zeref and is doing something, then the light bursts one last time and goes throughout the room. I look back at Zeref after having had to cover my eyes and see that he is on the ground panting heavily, and I knew the plan had worked. Zeref was mortal again.

"Gōsuto, Nena! He's mortal again! Let's finish this, Nena come here! Gōsuto create an opening!" I yell and Nena runs over to me and I whisper to her, "Let's combine. This way we can attack even faster than before." I see Gōsuto concentrate for a moment and turn into a demon, then he roared and charged at Zeref, who was standing now, and he unleashed a flurry of attacks. Nena sees this too and nods, noticing like I did that Zeref was just dodging everything.

I take her hand and we yell in unison, "Fusión de Cuerpo: Naturaleza!" and then we became one. Literally and physically one as our bodies became one being made entirely of all the elements known to man, capable of doing both of our magic at once. We looked to Gōsuto and saw that he had Zeref dodging and not countering, so we entered their fray. We got in close and thought together, "Acero! Acero Espada!" and our hand became a sword of steel and we sliced at his side. We made contact and drew blood. He howled in pain and looked at his side, and then let out a blood-curling screech at the sight of his own blood. He had probably never seen his own blood in a very long time and was horrified by it.

He jumped away and we could tell he was nowhere near as strong as before as his jump was weak and a short one. We looked at him and then charged at him again, he put his hands up and yelled, "Rejection!" The black came at us again and this time we put out our hand that didn't have the sword and thought, "Tierra Escudo!" A shield appeared in place of our hand and blocked the wave from hitting us, but destroyed the shield and we quickly formed a new hand of element, getting rid of the last one. We looked and saw the surprise on his face, he hadn't thought it possible to have his attacks blocked and then he realized just how weakened he was now. We thought, "Acero Escudo!" and a new shield of iron formed, when it did we did not make it our hand instead using it like a regular shield. We charged at him and rammed into his shield and pushed him back a bit at the cost of the shield that he destroyed using his magic. 'According to plan then.' We thought as we had him in the interval between his spells and we swung the sword up, and it hit the mark.

It cut off the hand he had used to destroy the shield and was followed by a very loud howl of pain. He grabbed his wrists and blood was shooting out where there should have been a hand. He must have never thought this would have happened as he just stood there screaming in pain. We used his shock to close the distance and reached him a moment later. We stomped on the inside of his knee cap, breaking it which caused him to buckle at the knees and fall to the floor in a praying position.

He looked at us as we towered over him and he tried to grab us with his only hand, his right one, but we just thought, "Acero Cuchillo!" and a knife popped out from our thigh and hit his hand, using the spell up and allowing us to permanently handicap him. We swung down with the sword and cut the other hand off and got part of his arm as well, his arm now starting at the bend of where his elbow was. He yelled again and began to mumble somewhat coherently, "No no no no no! Wait! Please wait! I know I said I would kill you but if you let me leave here alive I'll let you live and never bother you again! I promise! PLEASE!"

He began to whimper and we had never felt more sadistic in our lives, we did not feel sorry for him but instead had to fight back the urge to laugh. We looked at him and said in a voice that sounded like a god's, "You destroyed our home, you killed our friends, you ruined our lives, and you want us to spare you? HA! We wouldn't even had considered it, you deserve to die. And die you shall. Right now in fact." And with those words we swung the sword horizontally and cut his head clean off, the head landing a few feet away. We backed away as his body slumped forwards and we thought, "Termina."

Our two bodies defused and we went back to being two separate beings, though two very tired beings. The spell we had just used fused our bodies together and was the second strongest spell we knew, just beneath the forbidden one. I was breathing heavily and sat down, my legs bent with my arms resting on them, and Nena fell face first on the ground, completely exhausted as we had gone all out for the first time in years.

Gōsuto was standing there, amazed by what we had just done and then we heard something odd: clapping. We all looked and saw everyone else standing there where the door was and Natsu said, "WELL DONE GUYS! YOU DID IT!" and led everyone in a cheer of us and they ran to where we were. The first one to arrive was Rai who quickly went to the man he called brother and helped him stand. Gōsuto must have been exhausted after having to create a shadow dimension link without telepathy and having to distract Zeref. Without him, we would have died for sure.

Then Natsu and surprisingly enough Lucy, who I assumed stayed since there was no danger to her anymore, reached us next and ran by us to look at Zeref. Then Juvia and Rogue arrived with Karr and Mern close behind and they began to help us up and congratulated us. I looked at Nena and smiled at her, and she reciprocated the smile and I knew we were both thinking the same thing, 'La Venganza si es muy dulce.' We both then fell asleep completely exhausted, but successful none the less.

(POV Change to Natsu)

I looked and saw the others carry the others away, off to get them medical attention and some much needed rest. I looked at Lucy and smiled at her, and said, "Well they did it. I can't believe it but they did it. The job is done now. Only one more thing to do and then we are scot free, but it will take some time." I said and she nodded and looked from Zeref to something farther away, something I couldn't even recognize. "Holy shit. That's Lumen Historie huh?"

Lucy nods and we walk over to it and examine it, I look away a moment later as it creeps me out. I can't even describe what it looks like, as it is something so alien that I can't even comprehend it. I look at Lucy who is busy puking and manage to look at it again, I notice it's still alive and I remember what the old scrolls Esoj showed me said. 'One thousand years for it to recharge huh? I will never have to worry about it again, but someone will. I wonder if I can just burn it up?' I stand up and point a finger that quickly catches on fire and shoots a ball of at Lumen. It hits Lumen and the thing lights on fire and burns up, but does not burn away and is now just slightly charred. 'Nope, it's truly immortal. Guess I'll have to hide it somewhere, or find a way to kill it. Or I could keep it and keep it locked away… Hmm, I guess for now that is the best option.'

I looked around and saw Gōsuto and Rai watching us and I motioned them over to us, they made their way slowly. "Hey Gōsuto, put Lumen back in you shadow dimensions for a bit. We're gonna keep it so no one else can use it ever again." I said and Gōsuto nodded, he opened a portal to his dimensions and put it inside one of them, immediately closing it so he didn't have to think about it anymore. I nodded to him and said, "Now do the same for Zeref's body, especially his head. The hands too, we'll just burn those later, but the head has a special final resting place. Luce, stop vomiting and get ready to leave, I need a very long nap." Lucy glared at me but did as I said and got up. Gōsuto had already placed the head and the body inside of his dimensions, and Rai had collected the hands and threw them inside of the dimensions. With their task complete they nodded to me and left the room, with Lucy behind them and me behind her.

I sighed and walked beside Lucy, throwing my arm around her shoulder and she let her head fall on my shoulder as we left the cave and looked around, seeing that Igneel was still there, waiting for us. We walked over to him and everyone was there, waiting for us to go home, Esoj and Nena unconscious but smiling in their sleep. I smiled as well and looked to Rai, the only person capable of teleportation who was not too tired and said, "Rai, teleport us home."

He nodded and in a blink of an eye we were gone, leaving the place where the world was saved and where The Black Mage had been killed. Good had won today, but we still had one more job to do: earn our freedom.

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 **A/N: WHEW! I'm done! That was the longest chapter in the whole story and was the most fun to write! The end is near now, and here's how the week will most likely go, two or so chapters that will act as build up for the next five or so where we will the rematch between Fairy Tail and Ronin, and then one maybe two conclusion chapters. Then we are done. This story will most likely be done next week barring any setbacks. I hope you guys are excited, or sad, or mad, I don't really care as long as you feel some sort of emotion! Hahahah, well that is all my dear readers. Remember! READ AND REVIEW, OR FAVORITE OR FOLLOW EVEN IF YOU SO PLEASE! ADIOS!**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 50: Freedom

 **A/N: Hello again people! As everyone can see, this chapter fifty! We made it! Fifty chapters! Who knew we would make it this far? Oh wait! I did! Hahahaha… uhem. Sorry I'm very weird… Well ignoring my outburst, I must give out some shout outs today, Kimmykim1137 and Godzilla327 for the follow and to Godzilla327 again for the favorite! Thanks guys and welcome to our community of readers! Now on with the chapter! ENJOY!**

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The Next Day (Natsu POV)

I walk down the halls of the mansion and whistle to myself, Lucy walking next to me and sighs happily, "He's really dead huh? All these years of work and pain, they were finally rewarded, even though we may never see the rewards ourselves."

I looked at her and smiled, taking her hand I pulled her next to me, "Yeah, he really is. And we'll see the rewards, just you wait. Once we beat Fairy Tail again, we'll force them to let us be free, no longer criminals. I promise." I looked at her again and kissed her forehead lovingly.

She looked up at me and smiled, and got up on her tiptoes and kissed me on the lips. I returned her kiss and pulled her up off the ground, she responded by wrapping her legs around my waist. I prodded her lips with my tongue, seeking entrance to her mouth, which she readily complied with. I pulled back for air an looked in her eyes and saw the happiness that was in them, happy that we were together still and that we would be together forever.

But our moment was then ruined by a certain shadow mage who said, "Ugh, boss do you really need to make out with your wife wherever you go?" I turned quickly and saw Gōsuto standing there and I shot him a heated glare.

"What? Done banging Mei for the morning? Or are you on your way?" I asked and let Lucy down because of the squeal of embarrassment at being caught having a make-out session in the hallway.

Gōsuto laughed and just smiled at me, saying, "Kind of. I wanted to tell you something and ask you something." I looked at him confused and nodded my head, telling him to continue, "Well, ummm, I actually wanted to know if you knew how to make an engagement ring, and a really nice one too." He said nervously and Lucy gasped and was on the verge of squealing crazily, I still looked confused apparently as Gōsuto sighed and said, "Ugh, really? I'm going to ask her to marry you idiot!"

"OOOOOOH! Oh so that's why you asked me about the ring thing…" I said now understanding everything, Lucy smacked me upside the head for being so dense. "What? How was I supposed to know why he asked me about the ring was for him and Mei?"

"Because you just talked about them and he said he was talking about them! BAKA!" She said annoyed and now I was really mad at Gōsuto, 'Mother fucker. I was literally two more seconds from sex and now she's annoyed at me. Please, someone save me before I say something else.'

It would appear there is a god, as Rai came towards us and was yelling, "BOSS! Boss! There is some good news! The paper came out today, and look at the headline!"

He passed me the paper and I opened it, reading it aloud, _'The Black Mage is Dead! Yes people of Fiore, rejoice! The infamous dark mage, Zeref, is now officially dead! And the saviors of Fiore is known as well: the independent mage group called Ronin is to thanks!'_

'Wait? There giving us the credit we deserve? What is this? I thought they would just discredit it as us killing the wrong person or us turning into the next big threat.'

' _There leader, Natsu Dragneel is believed to be the one that actually finished the job, but the group also defeated all of Zeref's demons by themselves, all ten of them. Now before we had been told that Natsu Dragneel was the second coming of Zeref, a menace to all of Fiore and the world at large, but this is not the case. In fact, as it turns out, he was in cahoots with the council the whole time and has been pardoned of all crimes, including the murder of his former fellow guild members, Lisanna Strauss and Makarov Dreyar of Fairy Tail. The killings were waved off as, necessary losses as both were corrupt individuals who impeded the progress of justice.'_

The last line made me grip the paper tighter as in the case of Makarov it was a lie, his death had not been part of my plans. 'Lisanna needed to die. Makarov should have lived, if only he hadn't tried to Fairy Law. Then he would still be alive.'

' _The council declined to comment on the specifics of Dragneel's mission as it is classified, but do say that they have nothing but thanks for the Ronin. However, there is still one thing that must happen, the rematch of them and Fariy Tail and their allies in the guild coalition, which will take place in a little less than a year. The rematch will be a closed and private event, and the location is unknown but we all know that this time around it will be much closer as Laxus Dreyar and Jura Neekis have assured the council that in one year they will be strong enough to win. All that we can do is wait now, so stay tuned for the latest in this developing story.'_

I finish reading and scoff, saying, "The only thing that was even close to the truth was that we killed Zeref, and that we still have that rematch with the coalition. Everything else was bullshit."

"Yeah, but think about it Natsu! With this article we can use it as leverage when we win, and with it we can secure our freedom!" Lucy said and I thought about it, then realized she was right and a massive smile broke out on my face and I hugged her while cheering.

Gōsuto and Rai gave each other a hug between brothers and I told them both, "Go and get everyone, tell them to meet in the meeting room. Gōsuto are our people of the hour awake yet?"

"Not yet, but the nurse said probably later this morning, it's still pretty early." He said and I nodded.

"Ok, tell the nurse to relay the message and then get over to the meeting room. Rai find Tsume and have her and Virgo prepare us a celebratory meal, we will eat it in the meeting room. Now hurry it up." I said and the two nodded and we're about to leave when I remembered something and said, "Oh and Gōsuto. Yes I can do what you asked about."

He looked at me and had a stupid grin on his face, and said before running off, "THANKS BOSS!" He ran off and I could hear Rai asking what that was about, 'Boy that is gonna be an awkward conversation when he finally tells them.'

I turn to face Lucy and see her smiling softly at me, a smile I return while looking at her and pull her into a hug. I kiss her on the top of her head and say, "We finally are gonna be free again. Free to do as we please like in the old days. And free to raise that child properly." I rubbed her stomach and she placed her hand over mine, all three Dragneel's meeting at one place for the first time. And in that moment, I felt an inner peace I had not felt since this whole fiasco had started: I was truly happy once more.

(POV Change to Esoj)

I wake up and immediately groan very loudly, and shift in my bed causing the person next to me to mumble something about not moving. I cracked one eye open and saw Nena next to me, snoring lightly as she was now fully asleep again. I smiled and kissed her head, closing my eyes to relish this moment again and wish that it would never end. It did, but in the best way possible as I heard the door open and a child yell while climbing on top of the bed, and on top of me, "Daddy wake up! Uncle Natsu is looking for you!"

I open my eyes and look at the child and see the bundle of joy and the source of my happiness in E.J. jumping on top of me. I groan as he is a big boy in terms of height and therefore in terms of weight, and I say kindly, "Mmmm? E.J. what does Uncle Natsu want?" I shift a bit sitting up and holding his shoulders so he didn't move anymore, the movement however was maybe a bit much as my entire body protested from being so sore.

"He wants everyone in the meeting room to have a party! And he says you're the guest of honor! But you're late he said! So hurry!" He said and tried to move to his mother to wake her up but she put up her hand and sat up as well, giving him a good morning hug.

I blinked then remember why I'm so sore and I smile, the smile inhumanly big and I also begin to chuckle as well. "Ok, E.J.. Go tell Natsu we will be there soon, just need to get dressed. Oh and could you pass me the lacrima? I want to call uncle Rames."

E.J. nods and gives me a hug, saying, "I'm proud of you dad! You too mommy!" he got off the bed and gave me the lacrima, then ran off to find Natsu.

I turn to Nena and she looks at me, and then it hits her like a ton of bricks; she tears up and asks me, "Cabron… Did- did we really..?"

I grab her and pull her into the biggest hug I had ever given her and begin to cry myself, but the tears are tears of joy as I say, "YES! Yes it is all true! We did it Nena! We killed him! LO HICIMOS!" I yelled the last part and she began crying even harder now, still in disbelief that we had gotten our chance at revenge and had taken it. 'Seven years ago, when all this happened, I never thought we had a chance at finding him even. Let alone have a chance for revenge, but yet here we are. The duo that finished off the greatest threat to humanity ever. And the one who destroyed our home.'

I pulled back from her for a moment so I could look her in the eyes and she was smiling at me, happier than I had seen her in a while, not since we got married. She looked at me and took the lacrima and began tuning it, saying, "We need to tell Rames about this!" I nodded and looked at the lacrima intently, waiting for Rames to answer.

There was a small buzzing sound and then we heard a lot of people talking at once who were all quickly shushed by someone. "Hey, ese. Can you hear me ese?" I heard Rames call out.

"Yes Rames, I can hear you, as can Nena. Where are you?" I aksed confused by all the voices.

"La Empieza. Kurayami sent me back. What about you? Are you two alright, Tsume just told me to go home as fast as I could and Kurayami teleported us back somehow. Me and my wife at the same time, though he let E.J. hang back. What happened ese? Why did he send us back?" Rames asked and I couldn't help but grin.

"Rames turn the lacrima volume as high as you can and get El General over here." I said and then there was the sound of people shuffling.

Then El General asked over the lacrima, his voice exactly as I remembered, "What is it Esoj?"

I turned to Nena and she nodded, both of us turning and offering a salute that he couldn't see as we said in unison, "THE MISSION IS COMPLETE, SIR! WE HAVE SUCCEEDED IN KILLING THE ENEMY!"

There was silence on the other end before someone, Rames we guess, cheered loudly and then everyone in attendance at that meeting began yelling wildly. "Esoj, Nena, is it true? Did you actually kill him?"

"Yes sir. With our bare hands we killed him." I said still holding my salute and I could hear the cheer get even louder as everyone believed us, and we could hear people crying tears of joy.

"Esoj, Nena. The people of La Empieza thank you. We wish we were there to see everything but knowing that the revenge we sought is complete, we can all finally move on. Thank you, La Empieza is forever in your debt." El General said as people in the background were cheering and already drinking, happy that they could now live in true peace.

I looked at Nena and we both smiled as El General gave us a now barely audible goodbye and a talk to you later, and turned off the lacrima so he could celebrate. We both sighed and got up so we could go to the party, the two of us feeling as light as feathers, the man who had been weighing us down now dead. For us, now we were truly free.

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 **A/N: Sorry about the abrupt ending, but the party is next chapter and is gonna be part of a montage of events leading us to the rematch. Now for some badish news, I'm not sure when the next chapter will be done. It could be tomorrow, it could be Friday or even Saturday, I'm just not sure. I'm very busy over the next few days so I will update when possible. Now onto some business, I do remember promising you guys two one shots, and I want to know what you guys want out of these options: a background one shot of Nena and Esoj, an adventure one shot of Gray's year of training, the same as the last just with Gajeel and Levy, Natsu's lost years, or how Natsu and Lucy finally got together. I have an idea of how each should go but I want to know what you guys really want to see. So let me know somehow.** **Remember! READ AND REVIEW, OR FAVORITE OR FOLLOW EVEN IF YOU SO PLEASE! ADIOS!**


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 51: A Year's Difference

 **A/N: Hello there! First, shout out time! Today we have darkabys and EliXY following the story, new favoriters in EliXY and PalaDude234, and a review (Finally!) from sashaXmafuyuFOREVER! So I'm not sure when this will be posted as I am extremely busy and cannot devote all my time to this, so blame school not me. I hope you guys get excited because the next chapter is the beginning of the end, the beginning of the rematches! I'm so excited! I hope you guys are too, now onto the montage chapter! Warning! SPOILER VIA THE MANGA, WILL BE DENOTED BY **! ENJOY!**

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The Same Day (Laxus POV)

I walked into the guild and look around, seeing just how empty it looked, matching the mood of the guild. 'Damn, who would have thought that three people leaving would change so much...'

I walk over to Mira and ask her, "Why is everyone so down?"

She looks at me and sighs, and says, "Have you read the morning paper?" I shake my head and look at her confused, so she hands me the paper and says, "I'd read that in your office."

I looked at her and was now even more confused but did as she suggested and went to my office and sat down. Just as I did Olive came in and sat down next to me, pulling up a chair and asked me, "What's up with everyone? They look like they saw a puppy get bisected and eaten in front of them."

"Ok, one, are you pregnant again because your only that weird when your pregnant, and two I'm not sure. Mira said it has something to do with the morning paper." I said and opened it up and immediately saw the headline article.

' _The Black Mage is Dead! Yes people of Fiore, rejoice! The infamous dark mage, Zeref, is now officially dead! And the saviors of Fiore is known as well: the independent mage group called Ronin is to thanks!'_

I stopped reading and looked at Olive and her expression said everything, 'Is this thing for real? Did Natsu and Lucy actually kill Zeref?' I kept reading aloud, and saw Freed who had shown up later than usual walk in after hearing what I said.

' _There leader, Natsu Dragneel is believed to be the one that actually finished the job, but the group also defeated all of Zeref's demons by themselves, all ten of them. Now before we had been told that Natsu Dragneel was the second coming of Zeref, a menace to all of Fiore and the world at large, but this is not the case. In fact, as it turns out, he was in cahoots with the council the whole time and has been pardoned of all crimes, including the murder of his former fellow guild members, Lisanna Strauss and Makarov Dreyar of Fairy Tail. The killings were waved off as, necessary losses as both were corrupt individuals who impeded the progress of justice.'_

"WHAT?! THOSE BASTARDS! FREED GET OUR STRONGEST MAGES READY WE'RE GOING TO ERA AND KILLING THIS COUNCIL!" I yelled and threw the paper up in the air, needing to be restrained by Freed's runes before I did something really stupid.

Freed held me in place as Bickslow came in, bursting through the doors holding a letter. It had the magic council seal and I took it, after Freed released me from his runes, and read it aloud, _'To all guild mages, this article posted in today's paper is all true except for the part of us working with Natsu. We used his success against Zeref as a chance to gain publicity for being part of the solution for Zeref, do not lose heart nor believe this article. That is all.'_

I relaxed now, knowing it was all a publicity stunt, but was still mad at them for sullying the Dreyar name. I picked up the paper's pages and found the last little piece of the article and read it aloud.

' _The council declined to comment on the specifics of Dragneel's mission as it is classified, but do say that they have nothing but thanks for the Ronin. However, there is still one thing that must happen, the rematch of them and Fariy Tail and their allies in the guild coalition, which will take place in a little less than a year. The rematch will be a closed and private event, and the location is unknown but we all know that this time around it will be much closer as Laxus Dreyar and Jura Neekis have assured the council that in one year they will be strong enough to win. All that we can do is wait now, so stay tuned for the latest in this developing story.'_

I finished reading and sat back down, sighing deeply as I looked everyone gathered seeing there look of concern on their faces. "Freed, go and find Erza and Jellal, we need to talk about some things, and Bickslow, go and make sure everyone in this guild sees that letter and knows to keep quiet about it. Olive, you can stay as I will need your help with scheduling." I said and put some monthly calendars out along with some pens on my desk, throwing some paperwork aside.

"Scheduling what?" Olive asked as Freed and Bickslow ran off like the obedient followers they had always been, doing the tasks they had been assigned.

"Scheduling the guild wide training regiment, we need to be ready and need to win. The council may not believe in us, like the paper said, but that will just be our motivation. Now come over here and help me decide just how often I can schedule training that won't interrupt everyone's need to do missions so they can have money to survive." I said and Olive looked at me, pleasant surprise on her face at how serious I was taking my job as master and how dedicated I sounded to achieve victory over Natsu. 'And just how badly I want to win as well.' I thought to myself as Erza and Jellal came in and I ushered them to where we were, hunched over the calendars trying to figure all of this out.

Two Months Later (Erza POV)

I charge at the numerous people in front of me and requip into my new armor, yelling, "Heaven's Wheeled Spike!" and two wheel like swords appear, blades adorning every inch of it. I spun the one in my right hand and pressed a button, the button caused a blade to shoot out and strike one enemy in the heart. Then I used the one in my left hand like a shuriken and threw it at two enemies who were dead ahead of me, and held onto a string that was coming from it. When they both side stepped to avoid the wheel sword, I pulled the string and two blades popped out from it, plunging into their abdomens. The wheel sword comes back to me since I had pulled it's string and not a moment too soon as two enemies came at from both sides. I swung upwards with the swords and, as they are still swords, cut open a massive gash starting at their navel and ending at their chin, finishing off the group of enemies.

"Damn it Erza! Those were my favorite life like babies! They were expensive too!" Bickslow yelled as he and Laxus walked forward from where they had been watching, evaluating my progress.

**SPOILERS VIA MANGA, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK UNLEES YOU READ THE LATEST CHAPTERS!**

I sighed and looked at them, seeing that both were pleased with the progress I had made in such a short amount of time. Then it hit me and suddenly I was blind again, could not hear again, could not smell again, could not feel again, I couldn't even taste the sweat dripping down my face. "Guys help! It's happening again!" I yelled and Jellal who had been walking over started running over knowing what was wrong with me, like everyone who was around for Tartarus did.

"Erza sit down and relax, just take deep breaths and relax, it will pass. I'm here, don't worry it will pass." Jellal said soothingly and I calmed, knowing he was right.

'Damn that Kyouka and those demons, but especially her! She destroyed my five senses temporarily and now it's a thing! I have to find a way to control this thing or I will be useless in the battles. Although, it is the first time in a week so that is a positive.' Then as if a switch was turned on in my brain, I regained my five senses and looked at Jellal, and said, "It's ok now sweety, I can see again. Laxus, other than my little episode, how was that?"

** SPOILER OVER**

"Tch, it was alright, all you did was beat up on inanimate objects, nothing to gloat or write home about." He said and I sighed, 'He's right. I need to find a big long job that has a lot of enemies to fight, and high level enemies too. I need to stay sharper than sharp.' Then I realized he wasn't done talking and was waiting for me to look at him, asking, "Can you hear me?" I nodded my head and stood up, looking him in the eye now, "Ok, well before you started day dreaming, I was about to tell you that I have the perfect opportunity to change the enemy a bit, a chance to fight real enemies. There has been mumblings of an old enemy rising up again: Eisenwald. I want these rumors checked out now, and if you and Jellal run into any trouble, terminate the trouble. Understood?"

I thought I was dreaming, a chance to fight and to kick someone's ass who annoyed me? Perfect. Then I was brought back into the reality we live in by Freed running towards us, holding a poster in his hands. "Guys, you need to see this."

He put the paper between all of us and we read it and groaned loudly, knowing that we shouldn't have let him leave. The poster said, _'Missing: Juvia Fullbuster-Lockser. Last seen two and a half months ago in Magnolia, looks like the woman in the picture and has blue hair with blue eyes, and a guild mark on her left thigh. If you have seen her, please contact Gray Fullbuster, her husband on lacrima frequency…'_

"God damn it. I knew he was too much of a mess to let go alone! Freed call him and find out where he is, knowing him he's probably in jail for public nudity. Then send someone to him and make sure he or she stays with him from then until a year later when he comes back. Erza get ready and go your mission is still a go. Bickslow see if Gajeel is near to him and have him and his family travel with Gray." I could tell something was different about Laxus now, he sounded like master Makarov did when he was alive.

I nodded to him and turned to leave, needing to pack and get ready. I smiled the whole way home, finally feeling ready to let go everything that had happened, 'Fairy Tail finally has a new master, and his name is Laxus. He really has grown up to be a true Dreyar, I feel like things are looking up finally.'

One Month Later (Laxus POV)

I was breathing heavily, as was Jura who had come to visit and then of course to spar. We were both getting stronger, but his back was beginning to hold him back as was his age, he was becoming like Gildarts. 'Strong yes, but old and slower than before. His back is really slowing him down, I'm not sure my plan of him taking Lucy and me Natsu would work anymore, he's getting so slow.'

"Hey Jura, I think that's good for now. Come on, I think dinner should be ready." I said and he nodded, and we walked out of the room and up the stairs to my office and I shut the door behind us to the new training room. The room that originally held Lumen Historie, the room of my greatest failure as master.

"Hey Laxus-dono, what was in there before? I sense a lot of strange things were in there before and it creeps me out." Jura asked and I flinched at the question, not knowing how to answer that.

"Just tell him Laxus, it's ok. He can know since Natsu used it to help kill Zeref, he wouldn't be able to use it now." Mavis said and I stiffened even more, not sure how to proceed.

Luckily, I was saved by Freed who came in and saw how tense I was and how curious Jura looked. "Umm, am I interrupting something?"

"No what is it?" I asked quickly, changing the subject so I could no longer have to squirm around.

Freed looked at me and nodded, turning towards me and saying, "Well, we have received word from Erza, she has successfully completed her mission and her and Jellal are making their way home. And there was an article on her in this morning's paper, here."

He handed me the paper and I looked at it, seeing it was already open to the article I read aloud, _'Fairy Tail Defeats Eisenwald, Again! Yes the strongest of all the legal guilds in Fiore, Fairy Tail has defeated the dark guild Eisenwald again. Their first victory over Eisenwald came over fourteen years ago by a similar group of mages, at least in composition. Erza Fernandes, originally the famous Erza Scarlet, and her husband Jellal Fernandes defeated the entire guild by themselves. Yes, just the two of them defeated an entire guild by themselves, which is less than the first time they did so when Erza led a team made up of the now superhero Natsu Dragneel, his wife Lucy Dragneel, formerly Heartiphilia, and Gray Fullbuster. They defeated them in a much more flamboyant way the first time, but this time it was done with precision. They fought them in a more discreet way, slowly dwindling their members down until there was only guild ace "Shinigami" Erigor, and their master, whose name has been lost to time. They defeated those two with ease, ending their hopes of victory in less than ten minutes, according to eyewitnesses. It seems that whatever training Fairy Tail has been doing for their rematch with Ronin is working, as clearly demonstrated by Erza and Jellal Fernandes. In other mage news…'_

"Well I'll be, she is more like her old self than I thought, in less than one month she finished off an entire guild, much like the Ronin did with us. Probably got the idea of how to deal with them from them. Freed tell her to come straight home so we may talk about her success and tell her that she better be ready to turn up her training regiment again. Dismissed." I said and I turned to Jura to tell him we should eat, but I noticed the lack of footsteps by Freed, so I turned and saw that he was in fact still there, "Something else I should know?"

"Yes, but this is a bit more of a sensitive topic." He said and I knew he meant that Jura shouldn't hear about this, so I looked at Jura and motioned for him to leave. He did and bowed to us both, as soon as he closed the door behind him I motioned for Freed to sit and we both sat down. He sighed a bit as he saw Mavis, getting used to her appearances there, and he said, "We have a problem. We have been trying to contact Gajeel but have not been able to do so, and have gotten a report like he promised he would send every week since last month. Even Gray has been sending in his reports, we just can't find him anywhere."

I leaned back in my chair and began rubbing my head, 'Fuck. I get Gray not being found, but Gajeel being lost? That doesn't make sense, Jiji said I could trust him to do any sort of mission for me, but now I can't even find him? And he has Levy, Lily, and Joi with him, I can't begin to wonder what happened to them if something happened to him.' It was then Gramps decided to appear and make his presence known as he said, "Damn these brats, causing trouble even when I'm dead."

"Now, now. Third, that is no way to talk about fellow guild members, I trust in this Gajeel from what you have told me of him and I trust in his judgment. There is no need to worry about him, but Gray does cause me to feel uneasy. Is there really no way to find him?" Mavis interjected, scolding Gramps and asking us a question, 'She would be a damn scary mother. Always smiling, even when she's mad, not to mention the fact that she is pretty much bipolar in that anything will make her cry.'

Freed sighed as the search for Gray was his mission to lead and coordinate, and he said, "No, all attempts to find him have been futile, even Gildarts and Cana couldn't do it and they know him the best. Other than Juvia did when she alive. If she were alive she would know where he is, she was a pretty good stalker as we all know."

"Yeah but sadly, she is no longer alive. Freed is there really no other ideas of how we can find him?" I asked and looked at Freed who began to think, unsure of anything now thanks to how frustrating this had been.

Then surprisingly enough it was Gramps who answered my question, "What about his 'brother' Lyon? Would he not have some ideas?"

"Sadly he has already tried to help him find her and help him through it, but couldn't find him." Freed said and we all sighed, annoyed by Gray.

"Well, trying to rack our brains while on an empty stomach won't help, so let's go eat. Jiji, Mavis, you are welcome to come with us and watch Maks while we eat, but I'm leaving. We can always try again in the morning, but for now we will just need to have faith in them." I said and looked at everyone who smiled at me, probably because I sounded like Gramps did when he was alive, always believing in his brats. I stood as Freed did and everyone left and went home, certain that everything will be ok.

One Month Later

I walk up to bar and see everyone in pretty good spirits and I see Olive and Mira talking and laughing about something Maks did. Then Freed ran up to me and pulled me aside, and I looked at him like he was crazy. "Oi, where's the fire?" I asked and Freed looked at me, and I saw how nervous he was and I looked at him even more confused now.

"The guild has been infiltrated, it happened last night." He said and I suddenly understood his nervousness, and he continues, "I felt my rune barrier go off last night and the only way to get past it and not be paralyzed as they neared the guild is to have a guild mark. There are only six people who we have not seen who bear the guild mark: Lucy, Juvia who's dead, Gajeel, Levy, Joi, Pantherlily, and Gray. Since Gray and Gajeel have gone dark that eliminates them, leaving only one person who could be the culprit."

"Lucy." I finished for him and he nodded and I groaned, "Of course it had to be the one who was an espionage expert, able to fool people with her superior intellect. Can you runes tell us who it was to confirm it?"

"Yes, and I checked, but there's a problem. It said unidentified guild member did it, we weren't able to catch the person fast enough it seems." He said and I groaned again, 'Fuck Lucy and Natsu. They are a pain in my ass and I can't even stop them, UGH!'

I looked around and spotted Erza and yelled, "ERZA! Come here!" She looked up and saw me, then made her way to me with Jellal in tow. "Erza I need you to take whoever you deem trustworthy and search Magnolia for someone who has a guild mark. It seems that someone came here last night but we couldn't identify who it was, the rune barrier couldn't recognize them. It recognizes all guild members so we don't have another spy problem, but we need to find out who broke in last night and why."

She nodded her head and told Jellal to find Gildarts and Mira, and soon enough the quartet was off, looking for a ghost in a haunted graveyard. Or really a specific needle in a needle stack, I knew they had almost no chance to find the person but we had to try. I sighed and told Freed, "Get Bickslow and tell him what happened, then have him use his dolls as guards at night from now on so we can always have eyes on this place." Freed nodded and went off to find him, and I went up to my office, to the training room really, I needed to blow off some steam.

Five Months Later

"Lightning Dragon's Roar!" I yelled and a massive wave of lightning hit the wall, and blew it up. I shielded my eyes from the flying rubble that came flying at me, and when I felt the wall's rubble stop hitting me I looked and saw that I had opened up a hole so big I hit the bedrock underneath the sewers. "Wow sparky, nice. That's gonna cost a fortune to rebuild and a helluva a nice and remorseful apology to the mayor. Honestly, you need to find an open area to train." Olive said as she had been watching me with Maks, who was clapping at my magic and strength.

"Whatever, you worry too much. See Maks approves! Isn't that right my big strong boy?" I said and picked up Maks, who smiled at me and was still clapping.

"Dada!" He said, and I was proud that at the fact that he could say my name so perfectly.

"Yes, dada! See Olive, why can't you be like him? So impressed by my everything?" I said and Olive rolled her eyes at me and smiled, she gave my arm a light tap and we all laughed, it was her way of saying she was impressed.

The Freed came running down and was holding a lacrima, "Master, we have found Gajeel! Well more like he finally called in! Here, he wants to talk to you."

He passed me the lacrima and I took it, ripping it from his hands as I yelled at Gajeel, "WHERE THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN?!"

"Oi, language! There is still a kid here with me you know!" Gajeel yelled back and I glared heated daggers at him through the lacrima, but he just sighed and said, "Listen, we had to go off the grid for a while. We were looking for something and we finally found it. Listen, we found out that they did in fact use Lumen Historie, but they kept it after they used it. Don't ask how I know about Lumen, the old man told me about it. But then we tried to find out just where exactly they took it and we finally got that information: they took it with them after their battle with Zeref and took it to their base. Which we found. It's in this city of high middle class people called Naito, it's near the center of Fiore." He said and I nodded, not saying anything because I knew that wasn't all of his story, "I tried to find out exactly where in the city they are hiding out in, but these people fucking love them, treat them like gods. They saw my guild mark and suddenly I was a pariah and was chased out of the city. Got separated from Metalicana too, and that was a month ago. We stayed under the radar to avoid any issues with the people in Naito but found nothing at all, so we are heading back."

For some odd reason, I felt like he wasn't telling the truth, his story had seemed rushed and like information was withheld from me. But I knew if he wasn't telling me something, it was for a good reason so I sighed and said, "Ok, just come back soon, it's close to go time and we want everyone back soon so we can plan everything. Speaking of people who need to come back, have you heard from or actually seen Gray in your travels?"

He sighed at the question and said, "No, I haven't. I honestly don't even know if we can rely on him to show up for the battle, I have heard some things about him. Some say he's gone crazy, others say he's become like a hardened criminal. I personally don't buy any of it but whatever. I'll be back in one month, I still have somethings to do, like finding Metalicana. I gotta go, I'll check in more regularly from now, Gajeel out."

The lacrima turned off and I sighed, unable to shake the feeling that he was lying and withholding stuff from reaching my ears. I turned to Freed and said to him, "Get all the guilds who will be sending a mage for the coalition to prepare their mages to come in one month. That is when we will be ready." Freed nodded and went off to call everyone necessary and I walked to my office, preparing myself for the battle I had been looking for.

Three Months Later

'Today is the day, today I get my revenge.' I paced around the front of the guild, the mages who will fight behind me: Sting, Jura, Lyon, Freed, Bickslow, Gildarts, Gajeel, Erza, Jellal, Cobra, and Richard. 'So few capable fighters… gods how depressing. Where the fuck is Gray? I swear, the moment I'm decking him.'

I paced a bit more before I looked over the horizon and saw someone coming our way. I knew who it was based on the build of the person and I called out to the person, "GRAY!" He looked up and saw us, then walked a bit faster and walked up to me, at which I punched him squarely in the jaw like I said I would. Then everyone came and held me back, and held him back as he was mad now. I looked at him and saw that he had a new scar on his face, running down the right side of his face making his unusually hard demeanor even harder. "Where the fuck have you been? You know who gives us a fuck about that, what have you been doing all this time? Huh? You made yourself look like a fool and then you don't answer our calls? What too big and cool to let us know where you are, or even let us help? HUH?"

"Shut the fuck up! I know she's not dead! I know it but no one seems to get it! I know she is alive! And I don't have to fucking tell you everything I do, I'm not your fucking kid!" Gray shot back and was ready to freeze his teammates off of him, but thought better of it and instead just threw them off. "Fuck you right now, I have been training my ass off and I was looking for my wife. I have every reason to go dark! I am dark now! Did you really think I just thought she was actually dead? Hell no! I know she is out there somewhere but I came back because I made a promise, not because I wanted to."

I couldn't believe my ears, was this really the Gray who I had watched grow up? But I never got the chance to counter his claims as suddenly a massive arena came crashing down, right in front of our guild. It was bigger than the first arena and I saw what looked like doors on it, and my jaw dropped. There were nine doors and they had signs above them, but none of them said anything, no names or symbols, just blank wood. I groaned as this wasn't part of our plans and I looked at everyone gathered, and said, "Jura, our plan just got fucked. I say we just go in our groups or go solo if you were told to do so. Agree?"

"Agreed, everyone, go!" Jura said and we all charged at a door, and I picked the smallest one, thinking and hoping Natsu would go the inconspicuous route. 'Time to show everyone what one year of training can do. Natsu, you better be here, or else I'm just gonna find you and kill you. Time to get my revenge!'

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 **A/N: I hate the way this ended. I tried for ten hours to get this right but I just couldn't. This was after the fact that I saw you guys do some good work yesterday! Thanks to sashaXmafuyuFOREVER for the review and baby names, which at this point are the leaders for the baby's name, and to beareagle13 for favoriting the story. In case you noticed, no there is no Natsu and company POV's here as you guys reached ten again! So I decided to split up this chapter into two, instead of giving you guys two chapter at once. That would have meant giving you guys a fighting chapter and those chapters will each get their own day. Yup, starting Monday the fights start and there will be way more than I thought of these fighting chapters though. THERE WILL BE TEN OF THEM! You'll see why soon enough, but remember I still need your help deciding something,** **I do remember promising you guys two one shots, and I want to know what you guys want out of these: a background one shot of Nena and Esoj, an adventure one shot of Gray's year of training, the same as the last just with Gajeel and Levy, Natsu's lost years, or how Natsu and Lucy finally got together. I have an idea of how each should go but I want to know what you guys really want to see. So let me know somehow.** **Remember! READ AND REVIEW, OR FAVORITE OR FOLLOW EVEN IF YOU SO PLEASE! ADIOS!**


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 52: The Time Has Come

 **A/N: Hello there people! Not much to say except for a quick to sashaXmafuyuFOREVER for the review. Hope everyone enjoys the new chapter like they do their weekends! ENJOY!**

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Same Day as Start of Last Chapter (Natsu POV)

I watch as the door opens and reveals a very rested Anoren family, yes the entire family finally, and everyone including me cheered. They looked at us and smiled and everyone began to give them pats on the back, gave them hugs, and even gave them the first drink of the day courtesy of the local liquor super store who knew who exactly we were. In fact we had gotten all sorts of gifts from people all around town, ranging from money to food to clothes to a girl asking to marry Rogue or be his sex slave even. The last one made us all laugh at poor Rogue who sent her away looking like a big tomato at the embarrassment of it all. But the more legitimate gifts were being put to good use as the furniture of the meeting room was now gone and the only thing left was a table with all the food and drinks on it. The money was immediately taken to our private vault and put away for later use, like a honeymoon and baby stuff.

I looked at Esoj as he came up to me, Nena and Gōsuto with him. I gave him a hug and told the three of them as I hugged each of them, "Thank you guys, you really did me a huge and unforgettable service. You believed in me when no one else did, when I was the outcast who was more hated than even Zeref. You guys knew I was innocent and listened to me and helped me achieve my goal, Zeref is dead and he will no longer be able to ruin anymore lives."

They all smiled at me and Esoj was the first one to say something, "No Natsu, thank you. Without you and Lucy, we would never have had the chance to avenge those we lost to Zeref, we would have just ended up being dead probably. We would never have Lumen Historie, and without it, we would never have been able to kill Zeref. Thank you. And while I know it wasn't on purpose, thank you for allowing us to fight Zeref and kill him ourselves, it meant a lot to us. And know this, I think you could have killed him even without Lumen Historie's help. He was weaker than I had thought and was much easier to kill than I thought."

I looked at him and smiled, saying, "Yeah maybe. Depends on if what Mern told me was true, that all these years alive but never having to fight at his best had made him duller than before. I know it would have been easy for me, but you guys were amazing! I felt your combination spell, where you became one person, and that was a strong person! He would have given me a run for my money, and if I wasn't careful it probably would have killed me."

Hearing this made them smile, and Nena said, "I'm not so sure, your pretty ridiculous as is Lucy, I don't know if it would have been enough. But whatever the case we wish to thank you and let you know we are forever in your debt if there is anything you need or want us to do, let us know."

Gōsuto nodded confirming the same were to be said of him, and then it was Lucy who spoke, surprising me as I thought she had been talking to Juvia, "Natsu have you told anyone what we decided to do?"

I blinked and remembered what that thing was, and a smile broke out on my face as I ran to the front of the room where the tables were with the food and said as loudly as I could, "Ok, everyone! Come to the table so we can enjoy the feast!" Everyone stopped talking and made their way to the table and looked at me as I had not sat down just yet. Then they found out why I had not yet, "Ok everyone, before we eat I have an important announcement to make! As you all know, we have agreed to a deal with the council, win and we all are to do as we please, and Luce and I have decided what we are going to do." I paused for effect and waited a moment longer before finishing, "We have decided to change Ronin into something else, we have decided to make Ronin an official guild! We offer entry and membership into this guild when it is formed in one year's time, but want to know of your decision today so we can plan. Now there is no need to decide right now, instead take all of today's feast to decide and then let us know. Now let's eat!"

I sat down and everyone else stood up and smiled at me, then in unison said, "WE WANT IN!" I looked at them in surprise before Juvia said, "Juvia's sorry, but I heard Natsu-san and Lucy-san discussing this earlier and Juvia could not contain her excitement!"

I laughed at her admission and looked at everyone, asking them all, "Are you guys sur…"

That was all I was able to say before they all interjected and yelled, even old man Kurayami and the young brats in E.J. and Raito said, "YES!" And then Esoj added, "But only if you are the guild master."

I looked at them and smiled, as they all awaited my answer and I gave them it soon after, "Of course I will." They all cheered and began patting me on the back and telling me congratulations on the great idea of mine, but I stopped them from giving me the credit and told everyone, "Guys this wasn't my idea. It was Luce's, she saw everyone here like a family member to her and wanted us to stay this way, and I agreed. You guys have become my new family, and I am glad that you have as I don't think I would have ever found one if not for you guys. When I was forced out I lost all belief in the family concept, and sure Luce helped me find it partially but you guys have brought it back to life. You guys have re-forged me into a man who puts family above all else, so I thank you and am forever in your debt." I bowed and everyone gave an 'Aw' at my admission, giving me hugs and saying thank you for letting them do this for me.

I shushed them and said, "Now we obviously still have a lot to plan for and train for, but first let us have our first meal as an official family and unofficial guild!" Everyone took their seats and grabbed their chopsticks, then in unison we yelled, "ITADAKIMASU!" And for the first time in five years, I felt like I was among my family, and I felt the inner peace that the feeling brought.

Two Months Later

I walked through the hallways and saw Lucy, talking to Juvia and Juvia looked puzzled by something while Lucy looked concerned. "What's wrong?" I asked the girls and they looked at me, realizing I had come near them.

"This." Juvia said and handed me a black and white poster and my eyes bulged out of my eye sockets, or at least it felt that way, _'Missing: Juvia Fullbuster-Lockser. Last seen two and a half months ago in Magnolia, looks like the woman in the picture and has blue hair with blue eyes, and a guild mark on her left thigh. If you have seen her, please contact Gray Fullbuster, her husband on lacrima frequency…'_

I stopped reading at looked at Lucy before laughing and looking at Juvia, saying, "Wow, what a terrible excuse for an ex-husband you have. Look, the poster dates are all wrong, the calendar in the meeting room says X799, not X798 but yet he still thinks it is. Unless he thinks that by doing this he will trick you into coming back to him so he can just use you for sex like before. Yup that's all he thought of you, as a real life sex toy used for his convenience. Told me so himself, the bastard." I looked at Juvia shaking my head and saw the anger behind her eyes, but knew they were directed at a certain ice mage and not me. "So, if you ever see anyone looking for you, know that it is all a lie and that you should not believe them, ok? Oh and dye your hair so people don't think it's you and try to capture you for whatever Gray has worked out for them, ok?"

She bought the ruse and sighed, saying, "Yes Natsu-san, thank you for telling Juvia the truth, Juvia was concerned for a moment that you might have lied to Juvia, but Juvia knows that would never be the case, we are family!" She said and walked away but I could tell her thoughts went back to Gray as her mood dampened and I could feel the anger she felt towards Gray, and the sadness at being told she was just a thing for the man she had married.

My heart broke at having lied to her, telling her such vile things as I had done, and I looked to Lucy, saying quietly so no one heard us, "I know you know what you're doing, and that we are way too far into this to tell her the truth, but do we really need to do this?" She looked at me blankly, nodding slightly but not with as much conviction as before but here told me the truth, she wanted Gray to feel pain and to suffer. I sighed and pulled her into a hug so that her back face my stomach and I put my chin on her head, saying, "I hope you know what you're doing, but regardless if you do, I trust you to the end of the earth. And I also feel that your baby bump is forming, five more months and the baby will be here huh?"

She smiled and turned around, kissing me on the lips and giving me her thanks, and I picked her up and carried her to our room, so she could really show me how thankful she was. She did so for the next few hours, well into the night and the next morning only stopping for food, sleep, and well that's it because we showered together. But this would be the last time for a while as I can be rather rough during sex and since the baby bump is being formed I don't want to hurt the baby. But I didn't mind, I was with my family and about to have my first child, I couldn't be happier.

One Month Later

I yawn and look at Lucy and see she is still sleeping peacefully, snoring ever so lightly making her look so beautiful. The way she breathed accentuating how her face would scrunch up all cutely, the way her lips were now always in a smile making me feel like those five years never even happened. She looked like an angel, with how peaceful she looked and how beautiful she already was. Not wanting to wake said angel and incur her wrath, I slowly removed myself from her side and slowly got up from bed. I tiptoed over to the nightstand and grabbed a piece of paper and a pen, writing down that I was going on a morning run after meeting with Karr, as he had just gotten back from checking in on Eisenwald.

'Ah the memories, back when I was still so young and naïve about everything. I wonder if Erigor is still there, and if so is he any stronger? Probably not. No one really has, they all stayed in neutral really. Damn shame too, people with potential who never realize it are just lazy in my eyes, like Wendy. Damn she had some potential but she never even came close to realizing and now she never will. Too traumatized by Gōsuto to be a proper mage anymore, now she will be like Porlyusica without the hating humans thing.' I sigh sadly thinking about how sad her story now is, but none the less keep going until I see Karr who is waiting for me outside the meeting room.

"Hello there Karr. How did your mission go? Eisenwald really back again?" I asked him and he looked at me, then handed me the morning paper, smirking about it.

"Open to page three, you'll see the answer to your question there." He said and so I opened the paper and read the article, eyes going wide as I saw what it was, _'Fairy Tail Defeats Eisenwald, Again! Yes the strongest of all the legal guilds in Fiore, Fairy Tail has defeated the dark guild Eisenwald again. Their first victory over Eisenwald came over fourteen years ago by a similar group of mages, at least in composition. Erza Fernandes, originally the famous Erza Scarlet, and her husband Jellal Fernandes defeated the entire guild by themselves. Yes, just the two of them defeated an entire guild by themselves, which is less than the first time they did so when Erza led a team made up of the now superhero Natsu Dragneel, his wife Lucy Dragneel, formerly Heartiphilia, and Gray Fullbuster. They defeated them in a much more flamboyant way the first time, but this time it was done with precision. They fought them in a more discreet way, slowly dwindling their members down until there was only guild ace "Shinigami" Erigor, and their master, whose name has been lost to time. They defeated those two with ease, ending their hopes of victory in less than ten minutes, according to eyewitnesses. It seems that whatever training Fairy Tail has been doing for their rematch with Ronin is working, as clearly demonstrated by Erza and Jellal Fernandes. In other mage news…'_

I looked at Karr and he looked at me, then we both laughed, the article might have been overstating things. I asked him in between fits of laughter, "Did you see the final fight?" he nodded so I asked him, "What did you think? Strong or not?"

He calmed down for a second and said, "In between really. Her husband is stronger than her, I'd say strong enough that the two of them together could beat Mern or Rai. But it would take every last bit of their strength to do it, and that isn't a very strong could, I'm not sure about it. Juvia or Rogue could beat them too in actuality I just don't really know enough. But that Erigor dude was not that strong as the paper made him out to be, he was nowhere near being as scary as a shinigami."

I nodded, for a second wondering who should fight them before deciding it really didn't matter, as long as it wasn't Karr who was too old to fight them. 'Maybe in his glory days, but not anymore. Too many miles and battles and drinks on that body to fight them properly. I'll just give him Richard, since Cobra is still a dragon slayer after all.'

Then Karr obviously remembered something he, because he said, "Oh, wait. There was something I overheard those two talking about. They said something about not having heard anything from Redfox and Fullbuster, like they lost contact with them or something."

'Huh? They lost contact with them? How, aren't they still at the guild?' I looked at Karr and tilted my head, and asked him, "What do you mean 'lost contact'? Aren't they still at Fairy Tail?"

"No actually, according to my sources, Redfox and his family left with his dragon to train and Fullbuster left and is hunting for…" He suddenly got quieter and looked around, making sure Juvia was nowhere nearby, and finished, "He's hunting for Juvia, looking everywhere he can. I can always go looking for him if necessary and keep an eye on him, make sure he doesn't come near here."

"No that won't be necessary, just don't tell anyone that he is looking for her, we don't need any drama here." I said and stood upright, and nodded at him asking, "Anything else?"

"Nope. That's it. Need anything else from me?" Karr asked and I thought about it for a moment.

Then an idea came to mind and I smirked slyly, "Karr, go and find Juvia for me, would you? I have a mission for her and only she can do it." He nodded and went off to find Juvia and I thought to myself, 'Time to see if she has been taking her training seriously or not.' I smirked knowing she probably did and that this was going to be a lot of fun.

One Month and Two Weeks Later

"Ok, come at me!" I say and then three different spells come flying at me, I dodge one of them and deflect another one with my hand, redirecting it at the last one and they collide in mid air. But the spells were a diversion, as two people appear out of nowhere and try to land a hit on me.

'One from the left and one from behind, the one on my left is closer, so I'll deal with him first. Oh, and the third is coming from above, I can sense it. But they are trying to stagger attacks, so it works to my advantage.' I turn to my left and catch the fist coming at me in my hand and punch the body it comes from, more specifically the head. The person staggers back a bit and I grab the person by their outstretched arm and throw them at the person who was behind me. They collide and I pounce on them, yelling, "Fire Dragon's Double Iron Fists!", my fists both light on fire and I punch downwards, hitting them. They both get buried in the ground, small craters forming from the blow, and I turn my attention to the person in the air. I can see the person now and I smirk at them, and jump up to where they are surprising them. I say, "Gotcha.", and punch them, fists on fire, and land a flurry of blows to their stomach. I finish my assault with my usual finisher, yelling, "Fire Dragon's Roar!" and it hits, sending the person crashing to the ground.

"Natsu! Restraint! We are training here, not trying to kill! Remember these people are your family! Everyone else… Really? Not even a graze on him? Come on." Lucy said and I looked at Esoj, Nena, and Gōsuto who were getting up slowly and I smiled nervously at them.

"Hehe… sorry guys. I kinda forgot we were just training." I said and they all sweat dropped, including Lucy who had come down from her perch above us. "But hey, Nena nice try, using the high route to get the drop on me would have worked if I didn't have super smell. Nice try."

"Thanks, but still we will never be enough to actually get you. The only here who could actually fight you one on one is Lucy." Esoj said as he walked over to us and helping a very tired looking Gōsuto walk as well.

"Oi, Gōsuto. You ok? You look like a train or something hit you. Mei keep you up all night or something?" I asked and started laughing, as did everyone else except for Gōsuto who looked very serious. I noticed his seriousness and I looked at him again and stopped laughing, I asked him, "Gōsuto what's wrong? Did something happen? Did she… did she say no?"

"No. I haven't actually talked to her yet because I can't find her. Rai asked me where she was but I thought she had gone with him on his last mission. Since the ring was finished two weeks ago I haven't seen her and I'm getting really worried." He said and my heart dropped to my stomach and I looked at Gōsuto, feeling truly sorry for him.

Then Rai appeared and ran down to Gōsuto, and said, "I found her! She went on a little trip for some specific supplies for Lucy when the baby comes. Apparently she went with Tsume but Tsume never said anything, but oh well at least she's ok!"

Gōsuto nodded furiously and looked at us and we nodded, he ran to the door of the training field and was about to leave when Mei appeared at the door. Gōsuto saw her and immediately scooped her up in his arms, kissing her all over to tell how much he missed her. She was apologizing too I think, I couldn't quite make it out and tried to walk closer so I could hear better, but Lucy grabbed me by the collar and pulled me back. She shook her head and I shrugged, understanding that we should give them some space. Then Gōsuto said something that made her gasp, and he got down on one knee, and I knew what was happening. He held up the ring I had made, or at least I had made the diamond, which was a shadowy grey but shined like it was a star. It was perfect, according to him and it was huge, as big as his pinkie's nail he said, which isn't saying much since he's so short and small compared to me but whatever. She began to cry and nodded her head, probably saying yes a lot of times and they kissed again, this time the kiss much deeper and more passionate than before.

Lucy squealed in delight and dragged me along with her, us being followed by Esoj, Nena, and Rai who had a big smile on his face, happy that his sister was happy. We reached the newly engaged couple and began cheering for them, the guys patting Gōsuto on the back and giving him a man's hug. The girls were all hugging and squealing so loudly it felt like my eardrums were going to break and bleed. But I didn't care as this was a joyous occasion and deserved this kind of reaction, but I was pulled back to reality a moment later.

The lacrima in my pocket went off and I looked to see who it was and saw it was Juvia. I looked at Lucy and she saw the lacrima, she nodded and told everyone, "Hey guys, why don't you go and tell everyone else the great news! We'll be right there."

Everyone nodded, unaware that I was holding a lacrima in my hands and ran off to find everyone else. Lucy walked up to me and I answered the call, saying, "You're late."

"Juvia is sorry Natsu-san. She ran into a slight problem, after installing the listening devices in the guild hall, she realized that she had set off a rune barrier. Juvia had to use some rune knowledge Lucy-san had taught me to make sure it didn't identify Juvia and then Juvia had to lay low for an extra two weeks since you said that Juvia could not be seen. Erza and others began searching for me and Juvia had to make sure no one saw her." She said and we both sighed knowing that she had succeeded. "Juvia is on her way home, is there anything else you need of her?"

"No just be quick about it, Gōsuto just proposed to Mei and you should be here for the engagement party. You'll be back when exactly?" I asked and heard nothing but silence as Juvia thought about it.

"Tomorrow, in the morning if I don't sleep, if I do then at night. I'm already half way there, so if I keep going, I should be there rather quickly." She said and I nodded, 'Thinking about it, that's super impressive. Only if Igneel could fly, then I would just had him take her and pick her up, but oh well.'

I then realized she hadn't hung up yet and asked her, "Is something wrong?"

"No, not really. Juvia is just wondering why her ticket says the year is X798, didn't you say that it was X799 now?" I stiffened at her words as did Lucy and we looked at each other, then started mouthing incoherently at each other before Juvia said, "Oh wait, Juvia is mistaken. It does say X799, Juvia misread it. It's almost time for the New Year no? Wow, X800 what a strange feeling that will be to always have to say X800, don't you agree Natsu-san?"

I sighed in relief as we had caught a break. The New Year was a week away and the train stations must have started printing the dates for next year to familiarize people with saying that year. "Yeah, never thought about it before, but now that you mention it, I do have to agree with you. Ok Juvia, come back safely and Lucy says hello, bye!" I said and Juvia responded as I turned off the lacrima, her response lost before she could say anything.

"That was too close." Lucy said and I nodded my head, and turned to her and sighed. I took her hand and kissed her on the cheek and led her out of the room, joining the others, and hoping to put the fact that we were lying to a member of our precious family out of my head.

Four Months and One Week Later

I looked at Lucy who was now extremely pregnant looking, 'Of course she does, her due date is one week from now. Eeeeeee! I'm so excited! Although I'm pretty sure her mood swings are only gonna get worse now, they are pretty bad now as it is so I may not survive them. But oh well, as long as the baby is born healthy, that's all I will care about.'

She looked at me from her spot in the meeting room and said, "Natsu, everything alright?"

"Yup, just excited for what's about to happen! My beautiful wife and the love of my life, giving birth to what will be the second love of my life and my bundle of joy? What could be better?" I asked and she smiled at me, happier than a cat in a yarn factory.

"Well, you could help us plan my wedding. Just a suggestion though." Gōsuto said and I rolled my eyes at him and Mei.

"What else is there to plan? The wedding will be the day after we officially become a guild, after we beat Fairy Tail and the council grants us our freedom. The wife and her maid of honor, not us, should decide on the details for the wedding. Honestly, you don't need all of us here to do this." I said and all the men grumbled their agreement, even Lucy agreed with me, mainly because she was tired but still.

"Fine, fine. You all can leave if you want. Rai excluded, it is your sister's wedding after all." Gōsuto said and we all cheered, except for Rai who groaned at Gōsuto but did not verbally say anything. At that moment the alarms went off, and we all looked around at each other and then at the surveillance lacrima.

What I saw shocked me and I said in complete shock, "How did he find us?" everyone else was as shocked as I was and didn't move for a moment. Then I regained my senses and said, "Luce, your with me. Everyone else, defensive positions. He doesn't look like he's looking for a fight, but just in case."

Everyone mumbled their agreement and ran off, taking their positions as I walked to the door, Lucy next to me. We reached the door and looked at each for assurance, then I opened the door, looking directly at the faces of Gajeel and Levy Redfox. "What do you want?" I asked and gave them my coldest stare, seeing if I could scare them off.

It didn't work as Gajeel scoffed and said, "Not here to fight Salamander, unless you wanna get embarrassed?" I glared at him even harder if possible, shooting heated daggers and he laughed, "Don't worry, we're not here to fight, just here to ask you some questions. Well one main one, and depending on your answer… I may have more questions. So, will you listen or will you fight?"

I looked at him as he had not taken a fighting stance and I sighed at him, then answered, "Yes. What do you want to know so badly you actually came and found us."

He looked at me and his face turned serious for a second, then he blew me away with what his question was, "Is it true that Lisanna was somewhat under Zeref's control and he used her feelings for you and her jealousy of bunny girl to convince her to attack bunny girl?"

"How did you know that?!" I asked and looked around, making sure no one except for us four heard anything of what he said. "That information was private and should never have left anyone's mouths but ours, we were the only ones who knew that was the truth."

He looked at Levy and said, "Levy found a diary kept by Lisanna and had trouble deciphering it, so we went to Shi and found someone who could do it. Then we found out she had been talking to some little creature that was actually one of Zeref's demons called Wormtongue. It was capable of convincing anyone of anything by using only his words, which is how it convinced Lisanna to attack bunny girl."

"How in the world… You really do know everything about that. Except for one thing. There was Wormtongue, who we killed a while back, and there was also Wormbrain. Wormbrain got inside of her mind and had corrupted her before Wormtongue got to her, giving her a dislike and jealousy of Luce. Wormbrain was also part of her being by the time of the attack so there was no other option because Wormbrain would have turner her into a demon by poisoning her brain, it's why you couldn't read that diary she wrote it in the demons language. I had to kill her." I explained, filling in the blanks of what they did not know.

"Well, that answers my questions actually, but I think Levy has a question for bunny girl." He said and let Levy step in front of him, she looked nervous yet determined and cleared her throat.

She looked at Lucy and said in a partly shaky voice, "Lucy, how long had you been working with Natsu? How long had you been… planning our demise?" Tears fell freely, the question being of great effort to ask.

Lucy looked at her and sighed sadly, knowing that she was asking how long she had been lying to her for. She told her the truth when she said, "About one month after the attack. I realized that the eyes of the Natsu that attacked me were not his, they lacked his usual fire and passion, they were fake and distant looking. I'm sorry Levy-chan, but I needed to lie to you. I didn't want you getting caught up in everything and getting hurt, but I know I should have told you the truth. We're… well were, best friends for a reason and that's because we trust each other with everything that is going on. I'm sorry." She pulled Levy into a hug and they both started crying, their own way of saying sorry to each other.

They pulled apart for a second and Levy put two plus two together and asked, "So you're pregnant?" Lucy nodded and she rubbed her stomach, and Levy asked, "How much longer?"

"One week from today. It will be born on April 3rd, if everything goes according to plan." Lucy said and Levy squealed in delight for her best friend.

She turned to Gajeel and asked, "Can we stay here until then? Please?!"

Gajeel sighed and nodded causing the girls to squeal and run inside, I smiled at him and asked, "Where's the rest of the family?"

"Oh yeah. OI! Pops! Come on down, we're safe here. Hey Salamander, where's your dragon?" Gajeel said and I sighed, seeing Metalicana flying would make Igneel sad but he needed the company.

"There's a small valley like area here on the grounds where he's staying. He'll see it if he does a fly over. Just tell him to be sensitive… Igneel lost a wing and can't fly anymore." I said, the last part in a whisper and Gajeel's eyes grew wide but he nodded.

Metalicana landed and Pantherlily jumped off of him, with little Joi asleep in his arms. Gajeel whispered something to his adoptive father whose eyes grew wide and he nodded, flying off to where Igneel was. "Alright, Lily we'll be here for a while so make yourself comfortable, ok? Uh, should we just choose a room or what?" He asked and I shook my head at him.

"No. You may be here as guests, but I don't trust you THAT much. Virgo! Get some rooms ready for them. Everyone! We're good here! You can come out." I said and then looked directly at him and got up close and personal to him, saying, "What you are about to see cannot be retold to anyone, ANYONE. Understood?"

He nodded and then looked around, seeing that everyone was there and when he saw a certain someone he lost his shit. Literally, he almost shit himself. He thought it was ghost as he yelled, "JUVIA?! Oh my gods! How are you even here?"

Juvia looked at him puzzled and asked, "Who is this Juvia you speak of? My name is Sola." I had to keep a straight face and knew it was for the plan that this needed to happen, he couldn't know about Juvia just yet.

"Oh… sorry you look really familiar, like someone I used to know. Ryos. Why are you here?" Gajeel asked and I looked at them, wondering if something was about to happen.

"You should know, you surely heard about Sting and I having a falling out." He replied coolly and Gajeel nodded.

Gajeel sighed and looked at him again, he ran a hand through his hair as he said, "So it was true, huh? Well I can't tell you how to live life but I just hope you know what you're doing. Salamander, let's get going inside, I'm hungry." He walked past me and I sighed, hoping this wasn't a bad idea.

One Week Later

'Thank the gods for Gajeel, I would be so screwed without him.' I thought as I carried Lucy to the clinic, as after we went to sleep last night I woke up almost immediately as I felt water all over the bed. Her water had broken and she was going into labor, and she had had her first contraction. 'That was scary as fuck, I thought she was being attacked she screamed so loud. Thankfully Gajeel told me everything that I needed to know. Now for the part that is going to be equal amount of pain for the two of us, the waiting for her to be dilated enough. I swear this better be quick.'

It wasn't. We waited for ten hours and everyone else was now awake and present, it was seven in the morning now after all. Then finally, she was ready to give birth to our child. The doctor led her into the room while Lucy yelled at me, "FUCK YOU NATSU! THIS IS ALL YOUR FUCKING FAULT! I HATE YOU! FUCK YOU!"

I sighed knowing that it was the pain talking so I just held her hand, thankful that Gajeel had warned me it would happen. We were escorted into the delivery room and the doctor told Lucy to push as soon she was no longer being rolled around. Lucy pushed, exerting all her effort and using my hand a stress ball but then something truly shocking happened. I felt a pop from my hand I was in an immense amount of pain for some odd reason, then I put two plus two together and realized she broke my hand. She had squeezed my hand so hard that it broke and I had to stifle a scream as I saw Lucy in pain. I gave her my other hand and squeezed her hand instead and she kept on pushing.

After ten minutes the doctor said much to my relief, "Ok Lucy, this is the final push I can see it's head. PUSH!"

And then Lucy pushed and in a moment of wonder I stopped squeezing her hand and she squeezed instead. Then I felt the same pop in that hand as before and yelled in pain falling away from Lucy and to the floor, holding my hands up as I howled in pain. Lucy finished the final push and I heard a baby crying. I shot back up and looked at this weird alien looking thing that was just drenched in blood and thought to myself, 'That is by far the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.'

I looked the baby over and started to tear up, knowing that the wait was over, and I was a father finally. Lucy was breathing heavily and as the baby was cleaned I said to her, bending over to kiss her forehead, "Luce, you're the bestest. You did amazing, other than breaking both of my hands."

At my admission of her breaking both my hands she looked at me surprised and asked, "I did?"

"Yup, but who cares? We're parents Luce. We're really parents!" I said and we both started to cry and only stopped when we realized the nurse was there, with our child in hand.

"It's a girl, what do you want to name her, Mr. and Mrs. Dragneel?" The nurse asked and we both looked at each other and smiled, knowing what we were going to say.

"Hoshi Layla Dragneel." We said together and the nurse nodded.

"Well while I get the paperwork done, why don't you hold little Hoshi, ok Mrs. Dragneel?" The nurse asked and Lucy nodded and I got next to Lucy on her gurney, the nurse handed Hoshi to Lucy and immediately I felt like my life was complete. I was with the two most important women in the world to me and we were all safe and sound. I looked at Lucy and then at Hoshi and I saw very similar features, and noticed Hoshi was no longer crying, but instead calm and sleeping. I could even make out the fact that she had hair and it was a natural strawberry blonde. A perfect mixture of both of us and that really is what Hoshi was to me: perfect, absolutely perfect.

I kissed Hoshi as softly as physically possible on the forehead and said, "Welcome to our family, Hoshi. You are our perfect little miracle, our little angel forever."

Over the next several hours, people came in and left, including all of Lucy's spirits except for Arthur and the Spirit King as if they had come as well, they would have destroyed the hospital. They all congratulated us and we thanked them, telling them to wait until tomorrow to actually meet Hoshi as she needed rest. Everyone except for Gajeel and Levy stayed as Gajeel said, "I need to check in and get back. Been nine months since we left the guild, and seven since we contacted them. But know this Salamander, even though I still consider you a friend, I will not hesitate to fight you. Just know that in three months, I will see you as an enemy."

I knew this was what needed to happen, if he told them he stayed with us for a while he would probably be arrested and interrogated for our exact location. But I knew he would not say too much nor say that he knew Rogue was here with us and that there was a Juvia look alike, or at least very similar to person among us.

And then there was Loke… He was a little excited for the baby and was insistent on seeing Hoshi first. He kept guard over the door and would fight ANYONE who came close to his precious little Hoshi. Even me. Yup, he fought me too for a minute before he realized who it was and asked me, "Is it time for us to meet Hoshi?" I nodded and he squealed like a fan-girl and then Capricorn came as well. Being more or less the one who would teach Hoshi her manners he believed he should be the first to see Hoshi. It didn't end well as they both started arguing over who would get to teach her everything that parents couldn't and I sighed and just walked in.

I saw her laying in her little crib in her private room, which we had requested so she could rest in peace. I walked up to her crib and just looked at her, smiling down at her unable to actually grab her since both my hands were in casts from being broken yesterday. So I just looked at her and smiled, happy as a dog with his bone, actually happier as I was with my little bundle of joy. "Don't you worry Hoshi, mamma and daddy are gonna make sure you live the perfect life, I promise we will be free to do as we please." And then my focus began to shift, to three months in advance, to the day where we earn our freedom.

Three Months Later

I stand on top of a building looking down, I see a group of people arguing one of whom throws a punch at one I can't help but laugh at them. I hear Lucy asking a ton of questions to someone, "Is she ok? Is she sleeping or awake? If she's awake then let me say goodbye. No wait! Put her to sleep she needs to sleep. No wait! Let me sing her favorite lullaby. No wait!"

I sighed and walked over to her and turned off the lacrima and pulled her up to look at me, "Luce. Don't worry, Hoshi is safe. We left Kurayami, Capricorn, Igneel, AND Gajeel had Metalicana go there as well. Even if he says he came on his own we know Gajeel and Levy sent him. Stop worrying. We have a job to do." She looked at me for a moment then nodded, sighing her agreement. I turned to everyone else and said, "Ok it's go time. Esoj, Nena you two ready?"

"YES SIR!" They both said and stood up, and yelled, "Tierra Firma!" "Coso!" and an arena appeared on the ground below us. The people below saw it and then said something and they all ran inside.

"Ok so everyone remember the plan? Karr you have Richard. Rogue you have Sting. Mern you have Cobra. Rai you have Lyon. Gōsuto you have Erza and Jellal. Esoj you have Gildarts and Gajeel. Nena you have Jura. Juvia you have Gray. Lucy you watch Juvia's battle. I have Laxus. Ready? Good Go!" I said and ran off the roof and jumped towards the arena followed by everyone else. We landed on the roof and checked where everyone was via the lacrima inside and went into the appropriate room, ready to earn our freedom.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **A/N: WHEW! THAT WAS SO LONG! Like a catholic mass or something, geez. Seven thousand words plus! Man oh man that took forever. So yeah, that was still tons of fun! And now, we know the line-up card for the fight marathon we start tomorrow. Who's excited for Karr vs. Richard!... Ok, so no one really is but it is extremely important to the plot because as you can clearly see, there are nine fights, but I promised ten before. Well now it's actually gonna be eleven and you'll see why soon enough, so remember! READ AND REVIEW, OR FAVORITE OR FOLLOW EVEN IF YOU SO PLEASE! ADIOS!**


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 53: Book Covers Are Deceiving

 **A/N: Hello there people! Here we go! First shout out to EliXY and sashaXmafuyuFOREVER for the reviews! I decided to give you guys a tentative schedule for the fights, so here you are: (Question Marks are a Surprise)**

 **Karr vs. Richard-Monday/Today**

 **Mern vs. Cobra-Tuesday/Tomorrow**

 **Rogue vs. Sting-Wednesday**

 **Break-Thursday**

 **Rai vs. Lyon-Friday**

 **Gōsuto vs. Erza and Jellal-Saturday**

 **Break-Sunday**

 **Nena vs. Jura-Monday**

 **Esoj vs. Gajeel and Gildarts-Tuesday**

 **?-Wednesday**

 **?-Thursday**

 **Juvia vs. Gray-Friday**

 **?- Saturday**

 **Natsu vs. Laxus-Sunday**

 **I clearly want to kill my brain but I am super excited to do this! We are so close to the end I can taste it! It tastes like fire and pumpkins so it tastes amazing! The pumpkins part is true but I don't actually eat fire… Natsu does though! Right enough babbling, on with the punching and spells! ENJOY!**

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

(Karr POV)

I land on the roof and see where exactly Richard was and see that he is in the room farthest away from the rest. 'It's a pretty big room, so that is not good for me as Richard likes to use more ranged attacks than close ranged ones. I'll need to be moving a lot or his liquid ground will get me quickly. I don't want to be caught in that, it'll be a big ass mess if I do. I have a job to do, don't want to be the one who fails to do it, or else they will call me dirt since I'm as old as it… Fuck I'm old.'

I ran to my room's hole and jumped down, free falling down a tunnel made of pure earth and I thought, 'Fuck, this place is made of pure earth. This is bad, I'm gonna have to use some serious magic to negate his advantage. I might even have to use THAT technique.' I touched my special necklace and felt each of the beads on it and knew I was ready for anything.

I finally entered the room and landed with a crash into the ground, and had to stretch my back out since I had back problems. I feel the bones of my back crack and pop, going back into perfect alignment. I looked and saw Richard looking at me and he asked, "Who are you? A fellow follower of the doctrine of LOVE?!"

I blink at the man who was once called 'Hot Eye' and was a member of one of the most powerful dark guilds in the world and asked, "Are you Richard, a.k.a. Hot Eye?"

He straightened up and asked, "Yes. Richard Buchannan, although no one calls me Hot Eye anymore, instead they call me the prophet of LOVE!"

I sweat dropped at his ridiculousness and sighed, telling him, "Name's Karr, the Wild Knight. Or 'Wild Knight Karr', as I was once known. Come now, you must know who I am."

He looked at me and scratched his head and said, "Karr… the Wild Knight… Hmmmm. Nope, don't know anyone by that name, were you ever part of a guild that I would know about? A guild about LOVE?"

I clenched my jaw and glared at him, "YES. I was once part of Quatro Cerberus back in the day. BEFORE Goldmine joined and became the master. Then I became a council bounty hunter." I said every word tensely, annoyed with this youngster and his love crap, I had never ever wanted to knock someone's teeth in more than right now.

"AH! Wait! Yes I've heard of you! You are known as the 'Wild Knight' because of your unique magic! A combination of 'The Knight' and of animal soul takeover magic, right? All based on the bead on that necklace you have, am I correct?" He asked and I blinked, surprised by how much he knew and simply nodded at him, "Hmm, I know of you from my time in Oración Seis. None of it is very good, you were a brutal bounty hunter and never missed out on a bounty until Zeref became active again. You do not know the meaning of LOVE! I must show you what the meaning and power of LOVE is! Liquid Ground!" He yelled and suddenly the ground beneath me became liquid.

"Fuck! Requip: Bird Soul!" I yelled and a bead on my necklace glowed and a set of armor appeared, and it had bird like qualities, even set with wings that were encased in chain mail but were still as light as a feather. I flew high above the ground and swirled around him, waiting to see what he would do. I waited a moment more and just decided to stop waiting and take the fight to him instead, grabbing this armor's weapon, a lance, and flew right at him.

I put the lance ahead of my head and kept flying at an extremely high speed before, he yelled, "Liquid Ground: Wave!" A wave of his liquid ground came up right in front of me and I flew straight into it. 'Wow. Just wow. How did I fall for that?' I mumble yelled, "Requip: Elephant Soul!" and another armor appeared and it was absolutely massive. Like an elephant, my armor was massive and I broke free of the liquid ground wall. My tusks, yes the armor had tusks, swung forward and almost hit Richard, but he just jumped back a bit. I yelled, "Requip: Dog Soul!" and my armor changed again, this time I looked like a dog. I now had a helmet, and the sides were long like ears and I had a special weapon, brass knuckles that had long blades on every knuckle.

I smirked at him and charged at him, but he just kept yelling "Liquid Ground!" causing me to have to move and try another way. 'Damn, he's too fast with that move. Hmmm, there is always the get faster idea, but that will drain some magic to hold that type of technique for a long period of time. But I got a job to do, and I will get it done. I guess there really is no choice then, gotta do it.'

I jumped back a bit and took a bead from the back of my necklace and popped it in my mouth, then I swallowed it whole yelling, "Body Change: Jaguar Soul". I then began to glow again and this time instead of an armor just appearing on me, my body morphed into a jaguar like body. I could still stand upright, but hands became more like paws with metal claws on them, and my feet did as well. I had a helmet that covered most of my face except for my mouth, where long fang like protectors came down from the helmet protecting my mouth.

Richard looked surprised by my new look and I smirked. I got on all fours and in an instant I pounced and was on Richard like a moth to it's flame. I swung upwards with my claws and Richard could only dodge, but I didn't stop and I kept clawing away at him, forcing him back until he had nowhere to go and I nicked his cheek. I saw a chance to land a bigger blow as he looked surprised that I got him so I brought both of my paw like hands down in an X formation to try and get him but he merely caught both of them with his own hands. He looked down at me and yelled, "Liquid Ground: Quick Sand!"

The ground beneath me quickly began swallowing me up and he let go of my hands, as he didn't want me to have an anchor to high ground as I sank. I tried to get out of the quick sand but was stuck in there, and also was stuck in this form. 'Fuck. I knew the body change idea was foolhardy, if I swallow a bead I'm stuck in that form for at least three minutes. It's only been two, maybe two and a half. I better pray that it's been two and a half or else I wont survive this, come on! Body Change: Release! …Nope no good. Not yet.' I look around and can only see just above the high ground and I curse myself, 'Goddamn it! Why must I be so damn short? Fuck! Body Change: Release! Body Change: Release! Body Change: Release! Body Change: Release! Body Change: Release! Wait, yes! Time's up!' I felt my body go back to normal and felt the bead return to my necklace, recharging a bit from being used so heavily. 'Definitely can only use that technique two more time at least, maybe three if I push it a bit. Time to get out of here.'

"Requip: Pterodactyl Soul!" I yelled and a new set of armor appeared on me, this time it was like the bird armor but was bigger and sturdier. My wings were bigger and I had a helmet on that looked like pterodactyl's head, set with the long thing sticking out behind it. I looked at Richard as I flew out of the quick sand and he looked… bored? 'Fuck you. You getting bored? Well why don't I show you some fun then!'

I flew down at him and before he could use his liquid ground, I strafed left used my long wing to slash at him, connecting with his rib cage. But he was unfazed and merely turned his hand position towards me and yelled, "Liquid Ground: Crash!", then I knew I was fucked. The ground spout up at me and crashed into me, washing me away like it was a wave in the ocean. I went flying away, being carried by the wave to the far end of the room where Richard followed me to. He caught up to me and yelled, "Liquid Ground: Crusher!" The ground the sent me up high, and then another wave of liquid ground, this time from the ceiling as everything was made of earth, and it crashed into me from above, crushing me. I was being slowly crushed, the force of the two waves slowly turning me into a two dimensional stick figure.

I struggled for a moment before just deciding to change armor, and yelled, "Requip: Gorilla Soul!" My armor morphed again and expands, now big and stronger than before my armor allowed me to have some breathing room from the waves. Then the waves disappeared and I fell to the ground and landed with crash, making a loud thud sound as I did. Then Richard was upon me again, punching me even harder into the ground, and yelled, "Liquid Ground: Restrain!", and I was held down to the ground by his liquid ground completely unable to move.

Richard got up and looked at me, before asking, "What is your full name?"

I blinked at him and hesitated before answering, "That's none of your business, Lover Boy."

He scoffed at me and said, "I don't think you're in any position here to not answer my questions, especially since if you don't, the ground will just eat you whole. Your choice, I really do not care. My message of LOVE will not reach your hardened soul. You wasted your energy, and didn't even have a chance to fight me seriously, nor will you have the chance to." Then held up my necklace and I knew I was fucked, 'He must grabbed it when he punched me, damn him!' then he continued, "I am glad that you understand what my message is, pure unadulterated LOVE! But know that I would give you five minutes before the restraint I placed on you crushes you. Yes, the restraint is constantly getting tighter and will soon crush you. It will not kill you, but it might crush your windpipes. But answer the question and I will release you and just knock you out instead of crushing your windpipes."

'Wow, for a man who preaches about love so damn much he can be pretty cruel. Well, it looks I have no choice now.' Richard waited a moment longer before he sighed and turned to leave and I said, "Strauss, Karr Strauss the third."

Richard stopped in his tracks and turned around, looking at me in shock before asking, "What did you just say?"

"You heard me, my name is Karr Strauss. And no, I'm not the parent of any missing children who belong to a certain mage guild we all know. I am actually their uncle, their father was my brother. But you see, I never even knew my brother had any children. Never knew until a certain trio of children came along and made themselves famous, my nieces and nephew. Imagine the pride I felt, being there uncle. Imagine it! But then imagine what I must have felt when I read about a little punk ass excuse for a dragon slayer, supposedly betrayed by one of them and the proceeding to kill her in revenge. Feel like shit, that's what. So what would any man do when presented with this situation? Why they would get their revenge and do so in a legal way of course. Now how could a man do this? Well for one they would need to work for the council, and two they would need to be either a bounty hunter or a magic enforcement captain. Then they would need a mission for this and the kicker of it all? They would a need a solid partner, am I right partner?" Richard tensed as I finished my last little piece of my planned rant, and as a sword stuck out from his gut.

"You talk too much." My partner said and I scoffed at him.

"Yeah, but I needed to make sure he didn't see you coming, since I only saw you when I was flying around earlier. Anyways, how did you get here so quickly? Didn't you fight a dragon slayer?" I asked him and now he scoffed.

"That might have been a challenge before I killed Lawhn, now it was way too easy. I'm telling you, I could take Esoj right now if I wanted to." Mern said and I laughed with him.

"Don't underestimate him too much, he still hasn't shown us his full power just yet. Now come on, we still have a job to do. Oh, and you didn't kill him right?" I asked and he nodded.

"Nah, just did enough to knock him out cold, missed all of his vital organs. He should be just fine." He said and I nodded.

"You know, he thought he had me all figured out. But all he did was look at me like I was just a old, worn out book cover. Well, he just learned book covers are deceiving." I said and Mern groaned.

"Fuck you and your puns, honestly." He said and I shrugged, following him we both left the room and left Richard lying there like a pile of dirt, bleeding out into unconsciousness.

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 **A/N: Whew! What a surprise that was! I called it! Oh wait… I wrote it! Hahaha I'm a silly bitch when I need my sleep. Well I hope that plot twist came out of nowhere for everyone and I hope you understand that his magic should have given it away. Surprises are still oncoming as well, but tomorrow will not be one, instead a short fight followed by some background on their mission, so hang in there! Remember! READ AND REVIEW, OR FAVORITE OR FOLLOW EVEN IF YOU SO PLEASE! ADIOS!**


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 54: Patience is Power

 **A/N: Hello again! Quick A/N here today, just giving a shout out to brucie86 and sashaXmafuyuFOREVER for the reviews! Now on with the story, ENJOY!**

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Start of Battles (Mern POV)

I land on the roof and see where exactly Cobra is and see he is in the middle of all the rooms, the room also being the most average of them all. 'Not very big, nor very small. Perfect to test out my power up, time to see just how fast I am. Let's get this over with.' I look and find the appropriate hole and jump down, free falling towards where Cobra is waiting and land right next to him, startling him. "Why hello there." I threw a punch so fast I barely even realized it connected, but it did and he went flying into a wall. I looked at my fist and then at Cobra, then back to my fist and back to Cobra and did this at least three more times before I smirked as he got himself out of the wall.

"What the fuck… Huh? Who are you?" He said as he saw me and couldn't recognize me, "What's your name, I can hear your thoughts so don't lie to me."

I laughed at him evilly, or I thought it sounded pretty maniacal compared to how I usually sounded, and said, "Telling an opponent your name is reserved for opponents of similar strength, something we are not, Cobra."

He clenched his jaw and charged at me, yelling, "Poison Dragon's Sharp Horn!" His fists became shrouded in poison and he threw several punches at me, at a speed that before now I would have had to work hard to dodge or try and block them. But not anymore, now I saw every movement he made and they all seemed very slow, and I merely avoided every punch until he got careless and I got a counter in. I nailed him in the gut and moved in to land another blow, but was stopped by a tail constricting me. 'Wait, a tail?!'

I turned around and saw that there was indeed a purple tail stopping me, and Cobra saw it too, yelling out to the owner of said tail, "Kinnana! Get out of here! This is too dangerous for you to be here! Kinnana!" I looked over my shoulder and saw only a snake there instead, no person or, in his case, wife to be seen. "Damn it Kinnana! Transform back into a human and get out of here! And don't you ignore me! I know you can hear me!"

I sighed at this annoyance and just grabbed the tail roughly and it's grip loosened from the pain. I said annoyed, "Thorn Sword!" and my usual weapon, my sword of thorns appeared. I looked back at Cobra and smirked deviously, he then realized my plan and yelled out, "NO! WAIT!" but it was too late. I turned to the tail in my hand and swung my sword downwards, and I cut the tail that held me clean off.

I turned to Cobra and asked sadistically, "Hey since I cut that off while she was a snake, what is her human body part equivalent? Hahahaha!" Cobra was shaking now, and he got up and ran past me to where his wife was. She had turned back into a human and I saw that everything was there, except she had a massive gash on her stomach that looked pretty bad. "Aww, that's it? I had hoped for some limbs at least, but I guess that'll leave a nice scar. So where do you want yours?"

Cobra turned towards me and I smiled at him before he let out a howl and charged at me. He looked different now, like he was totally cloaked in poison, like he WAS the poison almost. He yelled, "Poison Dragon's Scales!", and things that looked like sickles of poison came flying at me. I dodged each one and kept my eye on him as he kept coming at me. I ducked, jumped, bobbed, and weaved my way out of the path of his attack and soon enough he was within striking distance as he yelled, "Poison Dragon's Fang Thrust!" A fang of poison appeared and came at me, but I didn't even move and just cut the thing in half with my sword.

I looked at him and sighed internally, bored by the lack of ability in a mage especially a dragon slayer like he was. 'So pathetic. Honestly. Why did I agree to fight him? I should have lobbied for Gajeel and Gildarts, now that would have been fun. This… this is just boring and sad to watch. Well, time to show him how futile his little assault is.' I gripped my sword tighter and then moved, flying by him and slashing as I did, cutting right above the knee area. I moved so fast that for a minute nothing happened, then like a cheesy samurai movie I brought my sword to rest and a spurt of blood came from his thigh. He went to a knee and I moved back on him, there before he even had time to look at the cut. I grabbed him from behind and delivered a flurry of rights to his kidney, and he howled in pain from the blows. I then threw him up in the air and slashed upwards, giving a cut that matched his wife's and I then jumped up. Mid-air I started to do a flip and when I was upside down I kicked him, sending him flying into the ground next to his wife.

I landed and looked at him, he was in bad shape completely beaten and bleeding next to his already unconscious wife. I walked over to where he was and sighed at him, saying, "I had hoped for more from you, but luckily enough you didn't even make me break a sweat. You see I have a very important mission I must complete and I don't want to waste my energy on fodder like you. Goodnight, my little snake." I punched him in the face once, and his head banged into the ground and a moment later he was out cold with a broken nose.

I stood up and sighed, walking away from him and getting ready to leave the room, 'Man that was easy. Every thing is going according to my master plan. I got out from working from Zeref, which was the easiest part. But then, I convinced the council to use me as a spy for their next big mission even before I agreed to work with them and be a council mage. I remember that day like it was yesterday.'

 _FLASHBACK- One Year and Two Months Ago_

 _I sit in the waiting room of the council with another guy who I barely know. 'I think his name is Karr or something but I don't really care, I just need this meeting to go well. If this goes well then I can use the information I found on that tablet really soon, sooner than I thought. Stealing the thing that makes Lawhn so strong? Yes. That is what I need! POWER. Yes I maybe a bit crazy, but I like power. I crave power and Zeref was not giving me any of it. Nor did my brothers help, they made me look bad all my life and got me stuck with the worst job possible: agent handler. Ugh, I hate those people, they are extremely creepy and a bunch of losers. But now, now I can finally have my revenge. Natsu and the Sabertooth twins took care of Mard and cost me the chance to take his power, but Lawhn is mine! MINE!'_

" _Hey, they're ready for you. Wake up!" A guard said, breaking me out of my reverie as he moved towards me. I got up quickly and mumbled an apology as he led me into the room where the council was and he released me from the shackles they had me in. I rubbed my wrists and looked at the council and at the other guy, the bounty hunter who found me and brought me in alive. I had let him take me on the condition that he secures a meeting with the council for me, which he did._

 _I looked at the council members and clear my throat, letting them know if they wish to say anything they could. "Mr. Greer, why are you here?" asked one woman councilor and I looked at her._

" _Mad' am councilor I am glad you asked." I started and saw the council's faces grow annoyed with me already, so I said "I am here to ask you for your help in killing two birds with one stone. I need help executing my plan, you see while I worked for Zeref, I never really loved or even liked him like everyone else did. No you see I actually despised him, still do actually. As such, and the fact that he made my life hell ever since I was born, I want him dead. As I know you do as well. But you also have another person you want brought to justice, one Natsu Dragneel if I am correct?" They all were looking at me like I was a falling star or something, like I had just said something so astounding that I was inhuman._

" _So here is what I propose, we help each other out by helping Natsu out. I know the inner workings of Zeref's organization and know where he hides out. So allow Natsu to find me and convince me to work with him so we could allow him to find and kill Zeref for us. Now I am sure your wondering how does that help us defeat Natsu? Well you see my brothers and I share a unique link with each other, if we kill one brother we gain his abilities and strengths. I do believe that with this power boost I can kill him, and I know for a fact that my only remaining brother, Lawhn, is Zeref's personal bodyguard. I would kill him in the chaos that would ensue when Natsu and his posse find Zeref and take his power. Then in one year, when he truly believes me to be part of his posse, I would swoop in, during the rematch and kill everyone one by one, using the fact that they are fatigued to finish them easily. Now I know that the council does not simply allow strangers to do their work so I propose you assign me a handler, maybe the bounty hunter here who captured me. So, are we in agreement or not?" I asked and they all looked at each other, then at the chairman who stood up._

 _He walked over to me and stuck out his hand and said, "We do. The only thing we ask is that you start tomorrow." I nodded, surprised they went for it so easily but knew they were desperate, after all Natsu Dragneel had just embarrassed the most powerful guild in Fiore. They needed him to go down so they can keep a strong front. And I knew my patience was going to pay off, because as the old adage goes, 'Patience is Power.'_

 _END FLASHBACK_

I smile as I remember that moment and make my way to where Karr is as he is struggling. I sigh and with my sword I stab Richard in the gut, saving Karr and defeating Richard in one strike.

"You talk too much." I say, scoffing at him.

"Yeah, but I needed to make sure he didn't see you coming, since I only saw you when I was flying around earlier. Anyways, how did you get here so quickly? Didn't you fight a dragon slayer?" He asked me and I scoffed.

"That might have been a challenge before I killed Lawhn, now it was way too easy. I'm telling you, I could take Esoj right now if I wanted to." I said and I laughed with him.

"Don't underestimate him too much, he still hasn't shown us his full power just yet. Now come on, we still have a job to do. Oh, and you didn't kill him right?" He asked and I nodded.

"Nah, just did enough to knock him out cold, missed all of his vital organs. He should make out just fine." I nodded and we both left the room, leaving a very badly beaten ex-dark mage and a now current disciple of love to bleed out into unconsciousness. 'He's right remember, I must have patience. Patience is Power.'

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 **A/N: Dun, dun, dun! What a surprise! He had this all planned out and it went so smoothly! Well, I will tell you this, he won't fight Natsu but I won't say who he is fighting, you have to guess! If enough people get this right, I'll tell you another secret too! Sorry it took so long but I was hanging out with my girlfriend today, yes my girlfriend. Hopefully you all understand that this does mean I may not have as much time with this story as I have school and a girlfriend now but don't worry! I wont forget about you guys! Remember! READ AND REVIEW, OR FAVORITE OR FOLLOW EVEN IF YOU SO PLEASE! ADIOS!**


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 55: Live Together as Brothers or Die Together as Fools

 **A/N: Hello! Today will be shorter as well, but for good reason! I won't say why because you can always just, I don't know, read the chapter maybe? But! But I will as promised, tell you guys a secret. Lucy will be fighting even though the schedule does not say it, but she will not be fighting Mern. Now, I apologize this shout out is so late but shout out to mrady for the follow! And the regular shout out to sashaXmafuyuFORVER and brucie86, you guys rock! Now ENJOY THE CHAPTER!**

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Start of Battles (Rogue POV)

I land on the roof and look at the lacrimas to see where exactly Sting is and see he is in the room closest to the exit, the room also being the smallest of them all. 'Not a very big room, it is very small actually. Perfect. Let's get this over with.' I look and find the appropriate hole and jump down, free falling towards where Sting is waiting and land right next to him, but he doesn't even flinch. "Why hello there." I said and he looked at me over his shoulder, shrugging at me. I yell and turn towards where the lacrima is, yelling, "Shadow Dragon's Crushing Fang!" Shadows come from my hand and destroy the lacrima, cutting us off from the prying eyes that were watching us. "Well, now we are all alone now."

(POV Change to Lucy)

I watch the lacrima and see everyone talking to their opponents, that is until Rogue destroys his lacrima. 'What the fuck! What is he doing?! NATSU!" I yell through the telepathic link Mern set up for us and I reach him.

'What? Where's the fire?' He asks.

'Rogue has gone, well, rogue. He destroyed the lacrima in his room, I have no way to know what he's doing.' I answer and I hear Natsu mentally curse.

'Ok, ummm. Well in reality we have no choice but to trust him. He is part of our family afterall.' Natsu said and I sighed, returning my focus to Juvia who has begun her battle with Gray.

'I hope your right. Because, I never trusted him like you did.' I think to myself and watch with great interest as the married couple dukes it out.

(POV Change back to Rogue)

"Well, now we are all alone now." I say and Sting turns around to face me a big smile on his face, "I missed you, bro."

"Me too. How was the mission? Have fun joining up with Natsu-san again? Must have brought back memories of when we all fought together seven years ago." Sting said and I smiled at the memory, the three of us fighting Mard Greer and winning.

"Yeah, but he's still as stupid as he was back then." I said and we both laughed with each other, like we had seen each other every day for the past year, which we hadn't. "How's Yukino doing?"

"She's good. Doing a good job of pretending to be my girlfriend too. We have everyone fooled, even Obra and Rufus believe us. Although Obra also believes that he can take Laxus on, one on one." Sting said and we both laughed at our guild mate's stupidity, but Sing sting stopped as he looked like he remembered a bad dream, "But we still can't find the young missus."

'Minerva. Gods, why are you such a bitch Minerva? Just come home, he clearly misses you so why do you like to torture him?' I thought to myself as I sighed and put a hand on his shoulder, "Hey don't worry, we'll find her. I promise you, and I now know she's definitely not working with a dark guild again because I would have heard about it. We dealt with a lot of shady people over the past year and none of them said they knew anything about her, so my guess is she's still abroad." It was all lies. I had heard that she had indeed gone back to her old life and it broke my heart.

He visibly brightened at my lies and smiled at me, "Good! Now, onto some business. What did you learn about Natsu-san and Lucy-san?" He asked me while sitting down, and I soon joined him on the floor.

"A lot. But none of it is good for us. Natsu and Lucy are way out of our league. WAY OUT OF IT. He killed semi dragon demons when we killed Zeref like they were practice dummies and, according to Yukino's scale of celestial mages, Lucy is on a whole new level of her own. She can summon up to six lesser spirits and can summon the Spirit King, his paladin, Loke, and another one called Aquarius all at once. It's mystifying just how strong they became. I don't even know how it happened, they won't divulge just how it happened and say very little about those missing years." I said and saw Sting slouch and pout, upset by the fact that Natsu was still way out of his league.

"What about the other members, like that other married couple?" He asked looking at me.

"Esoj and Nena, that's their names. Well, they are the second strongest duo they have, and they together were the two who actually killed Zeref. Natsu got stuck outside during the fighting and couldn't be there. Together, they could take on Natsu, maybe, definitely Lucy. They would beat us in a two on two showdown, and one on one is no good either. They are probably too much to do one on one, but the two of us together could very easily take them one by one. Very easily." I said and Sting nodded, putting that fact into his plans.

"Any others we should worry about?" He asked and I could only think about one thing, well two things or persons rather.

"Yeah, two more mages who remind me of us in a way. They both are really close, like us, and one uses light magic and the other shadow magic. But here's where the similarities end, they are both half demon. They were captured by Tartarus apparently back in the day and made into partial demons as an experiment. They were the only successes from it. Their names are Rai and Gōsuto, and they both work well together. But we could probably take them one on one if need be. They may be demons but they aren't invincible, we could take them." I said and he nodded, surprised by the parallels we shared with them.

"Good, very good. Any other good bits of information? The council is up my ass on this, they want Natsu in jail, they want him bad. Anything we could use? Anything to get him to surrender peacefully?" He asked and I immediately knew what we could use, but I felt bad doing it.

"Yes, there is one thing. They recently had a baby, a baby girl. They left her however behind in Naito with some people, including two dragons but one of those dragons can't fly anymore, the fire one Igneel. They also left some spirits behind too. None of the strong ones though so the place is relatively unguarded, we could, you know go there and take the baby. Use it as leverage to get Natsu to surrender himself." I said hestitantly and looked at Sting who looked like he was deep in thought, unsure of what he should do.

He waited a moment later before shaking his head back and forth, like giving the idea a final debate in his head before saying, "I don't see a better option. Alright. Let's do it." He got up and dusted himself off, and then helped me up before asking, "How long to Naito?"

I thought about it and said, "If we use my shadow transportation technique, maybe a few hours. Maybe less if I use dragon force. What should we do, conserve time or energy?"

Sting thought about it and then said, "Time. We need to hurry up. Now are you sure this is the only option?"

"The easiest one yes, and the one that could probably end all this today. Having some doubts?" I asked and hoped he would say yes, this way was the easiest but also the dirtiest way to do this, it made me feel physically dirty to be doing this to them.

"No, just making sure. Now let's go. You know how I hate wasting time and I don't Natsu catching up with us. Let's go, NOW." He said and emphasized the last part, but I could tell he didn't like this plan either, he would have preferred a straight up fight like any warm blooded male, but as it stands this was the best option.

We both walked to the exit and walked outside, blinded by the sun for a second as the room we were in was very dark, but our eyes soon adjusted and he grabbed my shoulders. Then I became the shadows and used them to travel, going into my dragon force so we could get there in about an hour. It felt extremely nostalgic, the two of us fighting together and living by our old adage, 'Live Together as Brothers or Die Together as Fools. We really are the epitome of ting and yang, light and dark and I like it this way.'

(POV Change to Lucy)

I watch as Juvia's fight continues and have a small smile on my face, 'Perfect. Absolutely perfect. This is going according to the plan. Yes, yes keep fighting you two. Show him what it feels like to suffer and not be understood... Wait. What is that?' I looked over the roof of the arena and see Sting and Rogue, clearly not fighting but instead walking away together. 'And now they are going somewhere. What is that direction? ...Wait. No. NO! NO NO NO! THE ONLY THING THAT WAY IS... HOSHI!'

I jump up from where I was sitting and start yelling my mind, 'NATSU! NATSU CAN YOU HEAR ME?! NATSU!' But it was to no avail, it was as if the telepathic link was cut off somehow, "MERN! MERN, WHERE ARE YOU?" I yell and check the lacrima to find that his room is now dark too, Mern and Karr nowhere to be seen.

'NO! Goddamn! I need to stop them! Sorry Natsu, but Hoshi comes first!' I think to myself and begin to gather magic to teleport to Hoshi's side but stop as i hear a loud explosion. I look and see that the room Juvia and Gray were in is now missing a wall, and Gray is running away with Juvia in hot pursuit. 'Where the fuck are they going? Wait, isn't that where... Oh dear gods no. There going to where they used to live! If they go there he might be able to show her that we were lying! Fuck! What do I do?'

Then as if the gods were listening, Rai and Gōsuto came up from their rooms, relatively unharmed and bagging on each other, laughing at each other like brothers always do. I run over to them and yell, "Rai and Gōsuto! I need your help!"

They stop laughing after hearing the panic in my voice, and Gōsuto asks, "What's wrong?"

I then tell them, "Rogue was a traitor! A double agent! He was never really on our side and now he's going to Naito with Sting in tow. He's going after my little Hoshi! I need you two to follow them and stop them! I have to stay here and help Juvia, please I need your..."

I never finished my plea for help as Rai and Gōsuto both looked at each other and Rai said, "Say no more. Our families are there too you know. We will leave immediately, you still have that connected shadow dimension?"

Gōsuto nodded and said, "Yeah, we can be there in an instant, let's go!" They looked at me and nodded as I fought back the tears of gratitude that threatened to leak out of my eyes, and Gōsuto reassured me, "Don't worry! We won't let them touch Hoshi! Rai hold on!"

Rai grabbed onto Gōsuto's shoulder and a second later they were gone, into Gōsuto's shadow dimensions. 'Thank you you two. Please hurry and protect her. Gods speed. Now, to deal with a certain estranged couple.' I gripped my keys tightly and ran in the direction Juvia and Gray had run off in, hoping I wasn't too late.

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 **A/N: Dun dun dun! Props to brucie86 who totally called this twist! Surprised? Good. That's how I like you guys, on your toes at all times. if anyone noticed, lately the titles have seemed pretty thematic to the chapter right? Especially as of late, as I have taken to using famous quotes or quotes I have found as the title. I hope you guys like that and I hope you guys like the new summary, I know I do! Tell me your thoughts as always and,** **Remember! READ AND REVIEW, OR FAVORITE OR FOLLOW EVEN IF YOU SO PLEASE! ADIOS!**


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 56: The Scar is the Place Where the Light Enters You

 **A/N: Hello! Wow, yesterday's day off was simply amazing! I actually got to take a long nap, three hours! YES! …Why am I talking about this? My inner monologue is a bit loopy when I'm tired and I have been very tired lately. But, I do have the energy for this! So the usual shout out time goes to SIX different people today, first for reviewing we have sashaXmafuyuFOREVER and brucie86 (As usual, thanks a lot for your support!), DazzTugz who also favorited the story ,so double shout out to you, and EliXY, thanks guys! And to Bruised Kunckles for the favorite, and a double shout out to .awesome who favorited and followed the story! Welcome to the family of followers! Now, ENJOY THE CHAPTER!**

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Start of Battles (Rai POV)

I land on the roof and look at Gōsuto and say, "First one to finish their fight gets the loser as a servant for a whole day!"

"OH, you are so on!" Gōsuto yelled back and we both looked at the lacrima, seeing that our opponents were in the rooms adjacent of each other.

We get into a sprinting position and count out, "THREE, TWO, ONE…GO!" We both take off sprinting and I yell, "Light Speed!" I go at an extremely fast speed and jump down the hole into the room Lyon is in. I get close to the bottom of the hole and I yell, "Light Wing!" and wings sprout from my back and I use them to stop my descent and fly above Lyon.

Lyon hears the fluttering of my wings and looks at me, asking, "What in the world?"

"Raitonekusasu, light mage. Nice to meet you Lyon Vastia." I said, surprised by how bad his scars on his face were, and he just looked at me, the scars adding an eeriness to him.

"You weren't on the list of possible targets. Did you just join recently?" He said and I deadpanned, but then quickly realized something.

"How many did you think there would be?" I asked and he looked at me, surprised by my question.

"Um, I think we expected six to seven. Not nine." He said and I was surprised by this admission, 'Wow. They really weren't ready for us. They only had the basic information on Rogue who was a high profile mage before he joined us. Guess even surprise was on our side, sucks to be them.' He looked at me and tilted his head, as if trying to get a better look at me, "Were you ever a dark mage, a bounty hunter for dark guilds? Part of some light and shadow mage duo?"

"Yes. The light and dark duo of Naito, or the demons of Naito as they called us." I said and he suddenly realized just who he was fighting.

"Oh shit…" He said and I couldn't help but smirk at him. 'Well, even though that was a while back people still recognize the title and the fear it created in people throughout all of Fiore, from Magnolia to Naito we were truly feared.'

"Oh? You know of me know?" I asked and got ready for his attack, ready to counter it and finish this quickly.

"Yeah, you guys tried to kidnap my master Ur, but failed due to her being killed by Deliora, right?" He asked and I was surprised, 'He was a pupil of Ur? Him and that Fullbuster kid? No wonder they are strong, she was a truly powerful mage that gave us fits for years, one of the few contracts we were never able to complete.' He then gripped his fist tightly and then looked up at me with determination, yelling, "Ice Make: Eagle!"

A pack of eagles, all made of ice appeared and flew at me, I moved and flew around them but they kept on me. They kept on me until I was forced to turn around and yell, annoyed by the eagles, "Light Beam!" A beam of light came forth from my hand and went towards the eagles, destroying them in a glorious show of light. I looked down and decided to make this a ground battle for now, so I yelled, "Light Meteor!" I charged at him, picking up speed like a meteor did when it came closer and closer to making impact.

I made impact and did so with my fist hitting him right where his scars were. I sent him flying back and let my wings dissolve, and I landed with a small sound, 'landing from about three feet in the air, doesn't even hurt. I wonder if he's out yet?'

I soon got my answer as Lyon got up from he landed and looked around for a minute, until he saw me and yelled, "Ice Make: Snow Dragon! Ice Make: Sword!" and a dragon, a very small one nowhere near the size of Igneel appeared, as did a sword of ice for Lyon to use. I looked at the dragon and sighed, and then proceeded to catch the dragon by its throat, side stepping it as it charge at me. I snapped its throat and looked at Lyon. He was already charging, the dragon a useful distraction for him to get close.

He brought up the sword to try and cut me, but I simply dodged it and actually caught his arms as they swung up and past me. I break his grip on the sword and kick the sword away as it falls to the ground, the sword lodging into the wall behind Lyon. Then I bring my knee up to his gut and knee him extremely hard, causing him to gasp in a soundless cry of pain. I let go his arms and punch him hard in the gut, causing him to finally make a sound and howl in pain as his eyes bulged from the pain.

I spun and was about to land a roundhouse kick that probably would have ended things, but Lyon yelled, "Ice Make: Shield!" and a shield stopped me mid kick. I jumped back a bit to get him to bring down his shield and I could attack him again. He did but was waiting for me, as he had prepared a spell and yelled, "Ice Make: Water Serpent!"

A snaked appeared, made entirely of ice, and it came at me. I put my hand out and yelled, "Light Beam!" Another beam of light appeared and destroyed the snake, and looked at Lyon, my glare icier than his magic and he felt it. 'This guy is annoying, but is he really Ur's pupil? He's so much weaker than I had hoped, but then again she probably never got a chance to finish training him as she died so early.'

He hesitated for a second and that's when I struck again, yelling, "Light Speed!" and I was upon him in a second. I punched him, using the momentum from the last spell to add even more power to my attack. I put my hand out as he flew away from me and yelled, "Light Pulse!" and seven balls of light came flying at him, hitting him. They kept hitting him one by one, not letting him land and he was pushed into the wall, where he was buried into for a moment before the spell ended and he fell forward. He landed on his hands and knees and looked up at me, panting heavily as that last spell did a lot of damage to him. I scoffed at him, surprised he was still up and then I was even more surprised as he charged at me.

He yelled, "Ice Make: Wolves!" and, surprisingly, no wolves actually appeared, instead ice coated his arm. He swung his arm, trying to hit me but the swing was wild, obviously more focused on power instead of his training. I dodged his swing and kept dodging, as he kept coming and coming, throwing haymakers left and right, uppercuts mixed in to try and surprise me but he just kept hitting the air. Eventually I grew bored of dodging and instead just caught his fist in my hand, easily stopping his assault but painfully so. 'Damn, his punches are heavy and the ice cut up my hand with it's sharp edges. Oh well, time to end this now. Goodbye Lyon, it was a blast.'

I pulled him towards me and elbowed him in the head, sending him straight into the ground. I jumped up and yelled, "Light Wings!" and my wings reappeared, allowing my to climb higher than before and giving me room for my finishing spell. After I felt I was high enough, I stopped flying upwards and put both my hand out in front of me, and gathered more magical power than usual. After I knew I had enough I yelled, "Secret Light Technique: LIGHT PILLAR!" and a circle formed beneath Lyon. Then a massive pillar of light came from where I was, above of Lyon and crashed down on him, crushing him in the face as he had turned around to look at me. 'So I guess the old saying is true, the scar is the place where the light enters you, especially when that light is me! Poor Lyon though, never even stood a chance did he? And he's always getting hit right in the face.'

After a moment more, the attack ended and I flew down to where he was and saw he was indeed unconscious. I sighed and went to walk out of the room when I heard, "Pow! Right in the kisser! Hahaha, a little slow there, my servant." I looked and saw Gōsuto standing at the exit and my jaw dropped at least twenty feet.

"WHAT?! HOW ARE YOU DONE ALREADY?" I asked, yelling at him as he just kept on laughing at me.

"Well, even though I had two I didn't waste any time. I went demon mode on them from the start and they never stood a chance. You probably could have won though, if you didn't let him try and hit you for the past five minutes, I mean honestly you just let him try and hit you." He said as we walked out of the rooks we were in and went outside, making our way topside like we were supposed to.

"What? I just wanted him to feel better since he got one-shotted last time he fought with Nena. I mean, did you see those scars, that was nasty! Man she really did a number on him. Did you know he was Ur's pupil though? She was one of our first contracts back in the day, and one of the few we never collected on." I said and he nodded his head at the memory, one of the few times we failed as a team.

"Yeah, but thinking about it, we were fifteen when we took that job, and not nearly as strong as we are now, I doubt we could have taken her." He said and I had to nod in agreement, 'She was an extremely powerful mage back then, I doubt any simple bounty hunter could have taken her down.' Then Gōsuto looked at me and said, "But as for Lyon, he was ugly as you man. Geez, and I thought Tsume was crazy blind. He is one ugly mother fucker. How can girls still swoon over him?"

"Because he's a guild mage who is famous, fame always precedes beauty for some reason." I said and Gōsuto nodded, then started laughing.

"I guess that's why it took so long to get married huh?" He said and I had to agree, and was laughing with him until we reached the roof.

Then we saw Lucy run up towards us and say very quickly, almost a mumble, "Rai and Gōsuto! I need your help!"

We stop laughing after hearing the panic in her voice, and Gōsuto asks, "What's wrong?"

So she then tells us, "Rogue was a traitor! A double agent! He was never really on our side and now he's going to Naito with Sting in tow. He's going after my little Hoshi! I need you two to follow them and stop them! I have to stay here and help Juvia, please I need your..."

We never let her finish her plea for help as we both looked at each other and I said, "Say no more. Our families are there too you know. We will leave immediately, you still have that connected shadow dimension?"

Gōsuto nodded and said, "Yeah, we can be there in an instant, let's go!" We looked at me and nodded as she fought back the tears of gratitude that threatened to leak out of her eyes, and Gōsuto reassured her, "Don't worry! We won't let them touch Hoshi! Rai grab on!"

I grabbed onto Gōsuto's shoulder and a second later we were gone, into Gōsuto's shadow dimensions. 'I just hope we can get there soon, before them. Or else it's all too late, for everyone. Hold on Tsume!'

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 **A/N: (Yawn) Well that was fun. Sorry I was so late in uploading this, I got a bit side tracked today but I hope you guys like it! As always, Remember! READ AND REVIEW, OR FAVORITE OR FOLLOW EVEN IF YOU SO PLEASE! ADIOS!**


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 57: If you expect nothing, you will never be disappointed

 **A/N: So I said tentative schedule right? Hahahaha, sorry guys I had a lot of stuff happening yesterday so I was not able to do any writing. But here we go! First shout out time! Today we have nicrocks18 who favorited and followed the story! And of course the constant shout out, sashaXmafuyuFOREVER for the review! Now, on with the story! ENJOY!**

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Start of Battles (Gōsuto POV)

I land on the roof and look at Gōsuto and who says, "First one to finish their fight gets the loser as a servant for a whole day!"

"OH, you are so on!" I yelled back and we both looked at the lacrima, seeing that our opponents were in the rooms adjacent of each other.

We get into a sprinting position and count out, "THREE, TWO, ONE…GO!" We both take off sprinting and he yells, "Light Speed!" and he speeds away from me and I yell at him, "HEY! No fair! You can go at the speed of light! Fuck you!" I ran a little faster and reach my hole soon after, jumping down immediately and turning so I begin to nosedive towards the ground. 'Well, I get a round two at these fools. They wasted my time with them last time so I don't expect much if anything from them. Yeah no, I don't expect anything, nothing really is the word here. Why am I fighting them again? Huh, no clue huh. Oh well, let's get this over with.'

I land creating a massive crater in the ground, and catching the attention of the Fernandes couple. I stand up and look at them, and ask them, "Do you remember my name? Awww, where is the little girl? She too scared to fight again?"

The red-head, Erza, glares at me and says with so much hate dripping out of her voice I would have though I killed her puppy or something, "You. I remember who you are, but not your name, you bastard. And as for Wendy, I will never forgive for what you have put her through!" She then requips into what I know to be her purgatory armor and she charges at me faster than I had anticipated of her. I dodge and smirk, liking the progress I see from her.

"The name's Gōsuto, and what exactly did I do to this Wendy? Did I really mess her up that badly?" I ask annoyingly, trying to make her even angrier than before and see all the progress she had made. She keeps swinging her massive sword and pushes me back with the size of her sword and her improved speed. Then Jellal joins the action and swings at the back of my head, but I sensed him coming and dodged his fist.

As soon I did I began my attack, I kicked backwards and nailed him in the gut sending stumbling backwards. Then I brought my hand up and caught the sword that Erza swung at me and pulled it towards me. This caused her to stumble forward where I punched her in the gut. Then as she stumbled and staggered to the floor where I punched her in the jaw. Her head snapped away from my fist and she fell to the ground. I smirked at how weak she still was, no longer disappointed in the famous Titania as I expected nothing from her.

I look at her and then I remember about the girl, as I feel somewhat guilty for what happened to her, 'I may have only shown them my dick, fighter side of me, but I do have a heart.' So I ask her again, this time much more seriously, "What happened to the girl that makes you hate me so much?"

She stood and requiped into her Heaven's Wheel Armor, and says, "She left. She had to leave, she couldn't walk outside without seeing what scared her the most. The shadows. Whenever she saw one, she would start screaming at it, yelling for YOU not hurt her anymore and to leave her alone. She was placed into a mental institution in Crocus, where her progress is slow. She may never be able to go outside again, all thanks to YOU. So, you tell me why I hate you so much."

I felt my heart sink and never had felt so guilty about anything in my entire life. 'What have I done? I knew I went too far before but I never thought I went that far. A mental institution patient at her age? Damn, what have I done, to someone so young and with so much potential to heal, I left her scarred and now useless to society. What do I do…?' As I thought about it while I allowed my guilt to show on my face and I said quietly, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I know this will never fix what I did, but I had to say this. Know that I will live with the guilt of my horrendous act forever, but that must finish this. So, I will grant you guys a quick…"

I never finished my apology as suddenly Erza started yelling like she saw her baby die or something, then she yelled to her husband, "Jellal! It's happening again! Help! I can's see!" I looked at her concerned for a moment before I remember that she temporarily lost all five of her sense when she fought Kyouka.

"ERZA! I'm right here! ERZA! LOOK AT ME!" Jellal yelled but it was to no avail, she couldn't hear him she was having an episode right now. 'Wow. This guild has some messed up people. Nena, Esoj, and Natsu are the only people who are fighting normal people anymore. Well, I guess since this is only going to get more awkward if I stay here, I'll just end this now.'

I look at them and take a deep breath. I begin to gather more magical energy than usual for an attack and then yell at them, no actual words or emotion behind, just a yell as I feel my body change. I can feel the shadows around me begin to cover me in a cloak, and soon enough I look like a shadow. A living breathing shadow that could kill you with just a look, shadow demon phase one.

I see Jellal looking at me like I had just grown a second head or something so I ask, "What? You see something wrong with me?"

He just keeps looking at me and I tell that Erza regains her sight and the rest of her senses as she looks at me with the same face and asks, "Are you a demon?"

"Yes! Very good! Your experiences with Tartarus have really given you an insight into how to tell who's a demon and who isn't! But in reality I'm only a half demon, created by Tartarus's demon machines. I hope you understand just how fucked you guys are, because we, my friend Rai and I, broke out of Tartarus as the only survivors of an experiment, to see just how powerful of a demon they could make from an already powerful mage such as ourselves. Well, good night, sweet dreams." I charged at them so much faster compared to how fast they were going that they didn't even see me. I reached them and immediately put my hand in front of Jellal and yelled, "Shadow Beam!" A beam came from the shadows of my hand and hit Jellal square in the chest, sending him flying away from me. I the turned to Erza who had requiped into her Nakagami Armor and tried to attack me. I grabbed the spear in her hands as she tried to strike me and I pull it away from her, throwing it away from where we were.

She looks at me surprised that my body, which was all magic right now as I had turned it into shadows. "I told you the last time, your special armor is not gonna work on me, I am not comprised of normal magic, I AM A DEMON! My magic is almost supernatural in nature, your special armor is useless." I grab her by the throat and squeeze a bit, and lift her up. I look her in the eyes, seeing how disappointed in herself she was, and I think, 'You should never expect anything, you won't get disappointed that way.' Then I throw her into the ground back first, and as she lands she bounces back up a bit. I imbue my fist with shadows, whispering, "Shadow Hammer." my fist then comes down and hits her in the face, breaking her nose and knocking her out cold.

I sigh as I stand up and see that Jellal is in the wall, his feet sticking out from it and he is not moving too much but is definitely alive. I walk out of the room, not in the slightest bit disappointed by how boring that was as my saying held true. 'No expectations, no need for disappointment, I just hope Rai didn't finish already or else I will never hear the end of this.'

I entered Rai's room and saw that he was still fighting Lyon but saw that he was finishing up. He pulled Lyon towards himself and elbowed him in the head, sending Lyon straight into the ground. Rai jumped up and yelled, "Light Wings!" and his wings appeared, allowing him to climb higher than he was before when he jumped, giving him room for his finishing spell. After he felt he was probably high enough, he stopped flying upwards and put both of his hands out in front of himself, and gathered more magical power than usual. After he thought he had enough I yelled, "Secret Light Technique: LIGHT PILLAR!" and a circle formed beneath Lyon. Then a massive pillar of light came from where Lyon was, above of Lyon's head, and crashed down on him, crushing him in the face as he had turned around to look up at Rai.

After a moment more, the attack ended and he flew down to where Lyon was and saw that he was indeed unconscious. Rai sighed and went to walk out of the room when he heard me yell, "Pow! Right in the kisser! Hahaha, a little slow there, my servant." He looked and saw I was standing at the exit and his jaw dropped at least twenty feet.

"WHAT?! HOW ARE YOU DONE ALREADY?" he asked, yelling at me as I just kept on laughing at him.

"Well, even though I had two I didn't waste any time. I went demon mode on them from the start and they never stood a chance. You probably could have won though, if you didn't let him try and hit you for the past five minutes, I mean honestly you just let him try and hit you." I said as we walked out of the rooks we were in and went outside, making our way topside like we were supposed to.

"What? I just wanted him to feel better since he got one-shotted last time he fought with Nena. I mean, did you see those scars, they were nasty! Man she really did a number on him. Did you know he was Ur's pupil though? She was one of our first contracts back in the day, and one of the few we never collected on." He said and I nodded my head at the memory, one of the few times we failed as a team.

"Yeah, but thinking about it, we were fifteen when we took that job, and not nearly as strong as we are now, I doubt we could have taken her." I said and we had to nod in agreement, 'She was an extremely powerful mage back then, I doubt any simple bounty hunter could have taken her down.' Then I looked at him and said, "But as for Lyon, he was ugly as you man. Geez, and I thought Tsume was crazy blind. He is one ugly mother fucker. How can girls still swoon over him?"

"Because he's a guild mage who is famous, fame always precedes beauty for some reason." He said and I nodded, then started laughing.

"I guess that's why it took so long to get married huh?" I said and he agreed, and was laughing with him until we reached the roof.

Then we saw Lucy run up towards us and say very quickly, almost a mumble, "Rai and Gōsuto! I need your help!"

We stop laughing after hearing the panic in her voice, and I ask, "What's wrong?"

So she then tells us, "Rogue was a traitor! A double agent! He was never really on our side and now he's going to Naito with Sting in tow. He's going after my little Hoshi! I need you two to follow them and stop them! I have to stay here and help Juvia, please I need your..."

We never let her finish her plea for help as we both looked at each other and Rai said, "Say no more. Our families are there too you know. We will leave immediately, you still have that connected shadow dimension?"

I nodded and said, "Yeah, we can be there in an instant, let's go!" We looked at each her and nodded as she fought back the tears of gratitude that threatened to leak out of her eyes, and I reassured her, "Don't worry! We won't let them touch Hoshi! Rai grab on!"

Rai grabbed onto my shoulder and a second later we were gone, into my shadow dimensions. 'I just hope we can get there soon, before them. Or else it's all too late, for everyone. Hold on Mei!'

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 **A/N: Whew. That was fun! I feel bad doing this to Wendy, but I wanted to show that Gōsuto does indeed have a soul so I made him feel bad for what he did to her. And as for Erza I don't really know why but I really don't like how she is so powerful in the main series. I guess because she always just uses her "Power of Friendship" to get a power boost instead of actually being talented, so I find her up grades as fan service. And I am not a hug fan of fan service as I feel it detracts from the story's plot. Sorry for jumping on my soap box here, but I just wanted to say that, so Remember! READ AND REVIEW, OR FAVORITE OR FOLLOW EVEN IF YOU SO PLEASE! ADIOS!**


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 58: Proving Who's The Better of Us

 **A/N: HOLY SHIT! DID YOU GUYS READ THE MANGA?! HOLY SHIT, HOLY SHIT, SHIT THAT IS HOLY! IT JUST DESTROYED MY PICTURE OF LUMEN HISTORIE AND FINALLY GAVE US AN ANSWER AS TO WHAT IT IS! SHIT THAT AWESOME! AND NOW I HAVE EVEN MORE QUESTIONS I MUST HAVE THE ANSWER TO! QUICK SOMEONE FIND ME HIRO AND THEN KIDNAP HIM FOR ME! THEN WE'LL ASK HIM ALL THE ANSWERS WE DESIRE! ACTUALLY WAIT, DON'T DO THAT. THAT WOULD BE ILLEGAL. Right so yeah, I just had to yell about it for a moment. So back off the soap box, shout out to sashaXmafuyuFOREVER as always for the review! Thanks! Now, the battles will be getting serious and actually will be good fights from here on out. So here we go! ENJOY!**

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Start of Battles (Nena POV)

I land on the roof next to Esoj and look him in the eye, locking eyes with each other we nod our goodbyes and good lucks; and to stay safe, not a single word needed. We walk to the lacrima and I see that Jura is in the room that is the second biggest room of all the rooms and know that it just gives us more room to destroy stuff. I see that Esoj is on the opposite side of the arena and watch as he runs off, about to engage in a battle with a man who had earned his respect and a legend who was washed up now. 'He's going to have some trouble with them, I can already tell. And not only that but… ugh I just have a bad feeling about all this. Something's not right here. Oh well, I have an actual fight ahead of me this time, I'm sure of it.'

I run over to the hole, which leads down to the awaiting challenger, and jump down into the frying pan. I reach the room's floor rather quickly as the room we were fighting seems to be higher… 'Wait a minute. We made all the rooms on the same level. There shouldn't be any rooms that are taller than other ones. Shit.'

Then the earth beneath me came flying up and almost crushed me; almost. I threw my hands up at the last second yelling, "Tierra Firma!", and earth came out of my hands. The earth stopped the what I now recognized to be Jura's Iron Rock from crushing me and I used the earth to push back the rock away from me. Then I saw Jura standing there before me, still bald and tall, but now much more serious and old looking. 'Man, did I really mess up his back that badly? He looks so stiff now, so rigid, so upright. This better not affect his fighting anymore, or else we won't get to see who's the better fighter. I would hate to waste my time, especially since I get a bad feeling with Esoj, like something might happen to him.'

"Oh, Madre you really should pay attention to me, just because you won the first time means nothing." Jura said breaking my reverie and regaining my attention to him and the fight that I was about to start. I looked and saw that instead of being on level ground, I was now looking up at him, surprised that he was able to move the ground so easily. "Surprised? I have been working hard this past year so I can win this fight, and I will win this fight. I must. For Lyon!"

He got into a fighting position and waited a moment as I said, "Wait. Two things, first: let us exchange names, and our real names not my codename. Second: how is that back of yours? I hope that it doesn't impede your fighting capabilities."

He looked at me surprised for a moment before nodding and saying, "My name is Jura Neekis. And my back is just fine, you'll see just how fine soon enough. Now, what is your name?"

I smirk and say, "Nena Anoren. I hail from La Empieza and, as a bonus for playing along, I'll tell you a secret. You see, Natsu didn't actually kill Zeref, he was supposed to, but my husband and I killed him. Now, die." As soon as I finished and saw that Jura's jaw was close to being a door it was so wide open. I used his shock to my advantage and jumped up to where he was and kicked him in the face, causing his head to follow the path of my foot. But before he flew away from the force of my kick I grab his beard and pull him towards me. I knee him in the jaw, hard, and his head goes up a bit. But not as much as I thought it would. Then I see that he had stopped my knee with his hand and had put his special rock on his hands to help stop my knee. I jump back as he swings his iron rock encrusted hands at me, barely avoiding them as he was faster than I thought. Then he stood up slightly and looked at me, smirking, and said in a voice so quiet I thought I missed it, "Iron Rock Brace: Release."

Then I saw rocks falling out from his pants and I realize that he had a brace on his back to help support him, and it had made him slower than before. 'Well shit, this might actually be fun.'

Then he charged at me so quickly I was taken aback a bit and was even more surprised as he punched me in the jaw, sending me flying away.

(POV Change to Jura)

I watch as Nena, so she calls herself, fly away and land in the wall. She made a large crater but seemed more surprised than actually hurt as she soon got down from the wall and looked at me, pleasantly surprised. 'What is with her? She never seems to get rattled by anything I do, how does she do that? I just got her real good after she surprised me and she doesn't even care, or so it would seem. Is she… happy that I have improved? Oh now I get it! She wants a good rematch like she promised me she would give me, oh now I'm excited!'

"YES! This is what I wanted to see! I see your back is just fine, so let's step it up. Fuego del Diablo!" She yelled and fire came forth and covered her hands, then she charged at me. I got ready and soon enough she was close enough for us to start trading blows, and we began our exchange. We each land a hit to each other's gut and then I land one on her side, but she lands one right in my kidney. I groan from the pain and punch her in the jaw, but only land a grazing blow as she ducked and tried to land a kick to my knee but blocked her with my shin. We struggled trying to gain the upper hand as our legs struggled to gain ground on the other. Then we eventually pushed each other back and looked at each other, a wild look in our eyes as we both had the rush of the battle in us.

I then feel my side heating up and I look to see that my robe is on fire, so I just rip off the upper half of my robe, revealing my sculpted body. I looked at her, she just shrugged and said, "My husband has a better body. But who cares? Let's fight!"

I nod and put hands in front of me and yell, "Talus: Strike!" and the usual attack of iron rock poles come forward but they all head straight to her, more specifically her head. She puts her hand up and yells, "Acero!" and a wall of steel blocks my poles. Then she yells, "Terremoto!" and punches the ground. The ground opens up and shakes, like a mini earthquake, and the opening comes towards me. I jump up and avoid the earthquake and yell down at her, "Iron Rock Fist!", my signature attack of iron rock forming into a fist and flying towards her.

She sees it and dodges it, rolling away from the attack and she pops back up, yelling, "Pistola de Aceite! Pistola de Fuego!" Oil and fire shoot out from her hands and come at me, combining together to make a makeshift flamethrower. The flames came at me quickly as I landed and I yelled, "Iron Rock Mountain!" and a mountain shot up, protecting me from the flames. I hear the flames go past the mountain and I let the mountain disappear, but don't see Nena anywhere. I look up and don't see her anywhere, then behind me as well but still don't see her. 'If not above or behind or to the side, then…'

A hand shoots up from the ground, grabbing my ankle, and it's on fire, then hand pulls me down and I am surprised by the fact that she can do that. 'I guess on top of creating elements she can destroy them… no wait. This is where I lowered the ground, she must have raised it up partially earlier when I was airborne and she created that earthquake. Damn, she's still really fast.'

Then I find that I am only able to see the ground now and find that she buried me in the earth, with only my head above the ground. "Iron Rock Shell!" I yell and my body gains armor, making me bigger so I can slip out of the ground and back to normal leveled ground. 'My ankle is burnt and hurt, but I can still move around well enough. I should be fine, but I should keep the iron rock shell on. It'll help stabilize the ankle a bit better. But I should be careful, I don't know what else she has up her sleeve.'

(POV Change Back to Nena)

'Well, there goes the last of my trickery for now. I am fresh out of attack ideas that he hasn't seen, man I should have been better prepared for this, damn you procrastination! But, hey I still am stronger as of right now and he just put on that iron rock shell of his, making him slower than before. I should be fine. Just can't let him land a clean blow… Better armor up myself.' "Cuerpo de Acero!" I yelled and the top layer of my skin changed, becoming armor, 'Glad I'm not solely restricted to making elements, but rather changing an elements atoms so that it is a different element. This makes everything easier.'

I look at Jura and smirk at his surprise as I remember he has never seen this and I know he thought he knew how my magic worked. I charged at him, still surprisingly fast and agile, and land a kick to his knee, my armor making the blow stronger. He buckles for a second but as I go to throw a punch his hand comes up and blocks my fist, grabbing it. 'Oh shit. This might hurt a bit.' He pulled me close to him, and punches me in the gut then lands an uppercut to my jaw. I fly upwards, just flying upwards for a moment before I spin mid air, regaining control of my body. I did not a moment too soon either, as he jumped up to punch me but instead got a fist full of steel. He quickly recovered and we started trading blows again. I land a blow on his chin, but then he lands one on my side. Then I land one in his gut as he lands one at junction of my shoulder and neck, then we both land one on each other's chin as we land and push each other away from the other. We both then begin the exchange again, and block each other blows with the same attack until we both punch each other's fist and stay locked up like that.

"Not bad baldie, but you seem a bit tired already. What, your old age getting to you now?" I asked sarcastically as we both struggled for dominance, our fist struggling to finish their intended punch.

"Nah, just wondering how I should celebrate when I win. Should I go and beat your husband next, or just take a nap, because as you say I am older." He said sarcastically, trying to get under my skin of steel, but I didn't bite. Eventually we both stopped the deadlock and swing the other arm forward, connecting with each other's jaw, but I can feel his jaw cracking slightly.

'I guess steel beats rock, even iron rock. This might end soon if he doesn't use that last technique he used last time, because I'm still running on more than half a tank of energy. Him, not so much no matter what he says.'

(POV Change Back to Jura)

'Damn it! She broke a jaw bone. Not a very big fracture I can tell, but she isn't getting tired as fast as I am. I don't know what to do now. I could use Iron Rock: Body Change, but I haven't tried that since our last battle and I don't know how that would affect my back. But, I may not have much of a choice here, I'm running out of energy here and I can already feel the fatigue in my back. Damn, I may be stronger, but long fights don't suit me well anymore, I can't maintain my speed lie I used to. Shit, here she comes!'

She charges at me again and punches me in the gut before I can stop her, and then she grabs beard before I fall backwards from the force of her blow. Then she tugs hard on my beard and I lunge forward, she punches me in the face using the momentum of me being pulled forward to add to her punch. I feel a cheek bone crack, and she lets go of my beard as she punched me, sending me flying. I hit the wall back first but feel no other pain than hitting the wall.

'Huh, that should have hurt more than usual since I hit my back so hard, but it didn't. Maybe I can use, Iron Rock: Body Change, no problem. Well, it's not like I have a choice anymore, I can't win like this it's impossible now. Well, I guess it's down to my last ditch effort again.' I stand up and look at her, calling out to her and asking, "How much magical energy have you used up?"

"Well, since keeping this armor on constantly saps my energy little by little, and the fact that we have fought pretty closely as well, I would say sixty percent as of right now. Maybe a little less or more, not really sure. Not since my battle with Zeref have I been pushed this far. So well done." She answered and I nodded to her, thanking her for the compliment.

"Unfortunately, all that is good must come to an end, as this will soon. You know my trump card, but can you stop it? Iron Rock: Body Change!" I yelled and I felt my bones and body change shape. I feel myself become one with my magic and look at Nena, calculating how long I have in this form. 'I'm down to thirty percent probably, so I'd say ten minutes or so. Hopefully my back can handle the stress this form causes it or else I will lose again. Better make this quick!'

I charge at her and lead with my shoulder, but she jumps up and avoids me. I look up and yell, "Talus!" and iron rock poles shoot up at her and she yells, "Pierdas Calientes!" Lava appears and melts the poles, and they disappear as the last of the lava falls down. I side step the lava and watch as she lands near me. I look her way and yell, "Rumbling Mt. Fuji!" The ground beneath her explodes with a surge of magical energy, and it goes up into the sky but I see that she is not in the magical energy. 'Eight Minutes to go, I can do this!'

I look around and see she is nowhere to be seen. I remember what happened earlier and punch the ground with all my might and split the ground open. But she's not there and I look above me and see no one there. 'Where…' "Shit."

"Shit indeed." She said coolly from behind me and punches me in the back and lands another one in the kidney before I can stop her. She then lands one more punch to where she broke my back the first time, but this time it feels funny. I look and see that her knuckles had brass knuckles, well steel knuckles, on them on top of the armor and I realize she had planned that. 'Fuck! That one hurt! Better hurry, she might have re-aggravated the injury and cost me time. I'll drop the timer to four minutes! Let's go!'

I turn and grab her, her face giving away the fact that she was surprised that I could still move, "It may have been broken once, but that won't be enough to do it this time. Have a nice flight." I said as I threw her away and she did go on a long flight, going all the way to the opposite end of the room and hitting the wall hard. But it seemed to barely affect her as she just got up and charged back at me. 'Three minutes, I have to hurry!'

I start charging at her as well and feel my back getting sore, and I know this has to be the last exchange as I am going to run out of endurance soon enough. We reach other and we begin the final exchange. I land a blow to her knee with my leg, but she doesn't buckle and instead lands a blow to my rib cage with her leg. Then so fast I barely have to time to react, she punches me in the jaw and then follows that up with a stomp to my knee. I buckle as I feel the fatigue is getting to the point where I can barely move. Then the battled ends, at least symbolically as my body changes back to normal and I fall to my knees. "No… no not yet. I was so much closer this time." I say dejectedly and I think and realize, that last exchange was too much.

"You're right you were close, but still no cigar baldie. But at least this fight was fun this time, I actually had to use almost all my power that was like ninety percent. Very well done." She said and then she punched me on the head, and then I was unconscious, not quite as disappointed as the last time but still a bit disappointed.

(POV Change Back to Nena)

I look at Jura as falls down face first and knew he was out cold. I sigh and let the armor fall away from me, and feel the cool air of the room hit my skin again. 'Wow, that was a lot harder than I had hoped. But I proved that I was the better of us, the better mage for today. Better get upstairs and see how everything else is going.' I walk outside and go up the hidden stairs in the back of the arena and reach the roof. But I don't see Lucy like I was supposed to, and I look and don't see anyone there. 'What happened? Did Juvia fuck something up? Fuck.' I run over to the lacrima and see that the only battles that I can see still going on are Esoj's and Natsu's.

Then I hear an explosion behind, looking to find the city frozen and partially destroyed. 'Found Lucy and Gray. Better go and help Esoj so we can help Lucy, or Natsu but he looks like he is still well in control of his fight.' I turn to leave and then suddenly I sense people there and turn to them. But I never see who it is, as they are on me before I can see them and they hit me on the head. They hit me hard as I feel myself slipping into unconsciousness from the blow and general fatigue. But I do hear who it is as one says, "Come on Karr, we should get the next one before we go after the other two."

'Mern! You bastard, Esoj was right about you, you weren't to be trusted! Fuck…' I fall, completely unconscious and pray that Esoj and everyone else will be alright.

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 **A/N: DUN DUN DUN! Whew! Sorry this is so late tonight but it was necessary as that got intense for a minute there. I hope you guys liked it and,** **Remember! READ AND REVIEW, OR FAVORITE OR FOLLOW EVEN IF YOU SO PLEASE! ADIOS!**


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 59: Welcome to the Club!

 **A/N: Hey everyone! Gonna be quick here, shout out to brucie86 and sashaXmafuyuFOREVER for the review, and to Syra Evermist for the follow. Now, I hope you guys can do math, because if you check the schedule we are down to five fights, FIVE. Then after that some nice tidying up chapters and then we're done. DONE. Do not fret, there will be more to come, maybe, but for now, ENJOY! Oh but first just as background, the battle between Jura and Nena last chapter was about half an hour long, shorter than you thought huh? Well trust me it is important to know, so now ENJOY!**

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I land on the roof next to Nena and look her in the eye, we lock eyes with each other and nod our goodbye and good luck and our stay safe to each other, not a single word needed. We walk to the lacrima and I see that my duo is in the room that is the second smallest room of all the rooms and know that it is bad news as there is no room to destroy stuff, one of my specialties. I see that Nena is on the opposite side of the arena and she watches as I run off, about to engage in a battle with a man who had earned his respect and a legend who was washed up now. 'Don't worry babe, I got this. Don't worry about me, I can take care of them. Trust me. Good luck.'

I reach the hole to my room and jump down, reaching the room soon after and see that the duo are arguing about something, "…Shit old man, are you serious! You can't just do as you please! We got put together to work together! NOT so you could try and relive your glory days! You can't just up and leave to go and find someone!" Gajeel yelled at the older one, who's auburn hair had begun to gray and makes him look much older than the last time I saw him.

"Fuck yes I can! She hurt my little baby and permanently making her a non fighting mage, A NON FIGHTING MAGE! She almost completely destroyed her confidence in her magic, and now she isn't even showing up to the guild but instead she's at bars drinking away her sadness! She's completely gone off the rails and its because of what Lucy did to her! And I helped train Lucy! I helped destroy my daughter's confidence!" Gildarts, I do believe, said.

"Oh would you get over that. Honestly, its not your fault that she went and joined her husband's, HER HUSBAND'S, group because she loved him and agreed with him. It's all our faults for driving Natsu away all those years ago, not any one person's fault." Gajeel said but seemed to not be heard.

"Yeah, so you say. I don't care about what happened with Natsu, Lucy was a grown woman and could make her own decisions. Which she did and it hurt my family, and I could have done something, I helped her! Now don't try and stop me, the guy we are supposed to fight isn't even here." He said and made to leave.

"Wow, there. I'm right here! Thanks for noticing by the way." I said and they both looked at me, and Gajeel gulped audibly knowing he was in a for a heck of a fight that he probably could never win. I looked at them both and saw the polar opposites in their belief of my strength, Gildarts thinking I was a fly in his way and Gajeel who knew how strong I actually was.

"Great. Now move, I'm leaving." Gildarts said and I charged him so fast he barely even saw me and I ended up next to him, leaning near his ear.

"Now, now. Why don't you stay and play for a bit. My name is Esoj Anoren, what's yours?" I said and punched him in the gut and then kicked him in the jaw, his head came flying up and as soon as it was in reach I punched him in the jaw. He went flying and I could feel some of his bones crack as my fist made contact, "Wow, I just punched him with my fist and his jaw almost broke. He really is feeling like he's fifty three, in the decline of his career. I wonder if he gets up again.'

I look and find Gildarts shaking his head, shocked by the fact that he just got owned in a matter of seconds. He got up gingerly and looked at me and charged, but I saw him coming from the moment he tried that and beat him to the punch. Literally as I got up close and personal again and punched him in the side, then the kidney, then the jaw, then the gut, and finished my attack with a blow to the head and he sputtered for a second. Then he fell to his knees and was bloodied, breathing heavily from my assault. He looked at me sideways and said meekly as he began to fade into unconsciousness, "Gildarts Clive."

I nodded and saw as he fell face first to the ground, and stopped moving. I walked over to him and kicked his side to see if he was out, he was but didn't look like he was breathing either. I used my foot and rolled him over, then check if he was breathing and he was, thankfully as last time Natsu almost flipped his shit that I killed my opponent. 'I hope he will be ok, I have seen what getting owned like this does to a man's confidence.'

"Oi. Don't forget there's two of us here." Gajeel said and sounded like he was close. He was. He had come up right next to me and used my surprise to land the first blow of our battle, punching me in the gut. I took the hit and grimaced as he was definitely using his steel dragon mode already. I jumped back a bit and took a ball of steel that Nena created for me and yelled, "Nudillo de Acero!" and steel knuckles formed from the ball. I landed and charged back at Gajeel and we started trading blows, each matching blow for blow. I would land one in his gut and he would land one on my cheek, and so on and so forth. It went on for a few moment more before our fist hit the other's fist and we were deadlocked. "Gajeel Redfox!" Gajeel said and I smirked as I knew what he wanted.

"Esoj Anoren!" I yelled back and we separated, having exchanged names and locked fists. We both stared each other down, and then both threw our hand up and yelled simultaneously, "Steel Dragon's Club!" "Ballas de Acero! Escudo de Acero!" My shield of steel appeared as did bullets of steel that flew at Gajeel as his club hit my shield. To my surprise, he didn't dodge the bullets but instead ate them and I remembered that he can eat metal. 'Fuck. Ballas is out of the question then. As is anything that he can grab and then eat. Hmmm, I could go to another type of element or just try and be careful. Hmmm, wait I can use ironwood! Just like Warrod used! Yes!'

"Bastón de Madera!" I yelled and a staff of ironwood appeared, 'Ironwood is the strongest wood known to man and this is what I'll use against him.' I looked at him and he looked at me, then we charged again. "Steel Dragon's Sword!" he yelled and his hand became a sword with spinning metal teeth like a saw. We reached each other and started attacking each other with our weapons, blocking each other at every move, not able to land a clean blow. The he came down with his sword right in the middle of my staff and came down hard, cutting the staff in half. I jumped back a bit and looked at my ruined staff, seeing that cut was clean and the staff still actually had some use for me. I grabbed each end of the two parts of my staff and now had two mini staffs, so I charged again and we started trading blows again. But now I had more weapons than him and was able to use that fact to land some hits on him, using one to occupy his sword and then hit him in the side with the other. I kept doing that for a few minutes until Gajeel leaned back and yelled, "Steel Dragon's Roar!" A burst of steel came at me and I had to dodge, rolling away from him and looking at him as he stood upright.

"Nice. Nice try." I say and he smirks at me and bows mockingly and does his weird gihee thing, although my laugh is not normal either. I then remember something I wanted to ask him and say, "Hey Gajeel, I have a deal for you. If you win, Nena and I will leave Fiore and go home to La Empieza forever, and we leave Ronin. BUT if I win, then you and your family join Ronin and leave Fairy Tail, becoming full fledged Ronin on the spot. Deal?"

(POV Change to Gajeel)

I look at Esoj in disbelief, 'Did he really just make that bet with me? Why? But hmmm, if I win I do what I'm supposed to do and secure my place among the greats of Fiore. The man who defeated the man who killed Zeref, yeah I like that title. And even if I lose, I get to join a group of elite mages who, if they win and become a legal guild, will replace Fairy Tail as the strongest guild Fiore. It's a win-win really. Well then, I guess the why doesn't matter, just the fact that he proposed it does.' I recover and smirk at him, saying, "Deal. But I hope your not too used to Fiore just yet, because when I win you'll be going home."

"Ha! You're a jokester Gajeel. Thinking you can win, how cute. But we both know who the winner will be: me." He said coolly and charged again, and we started trading blows again, but this time I wised up. I purposefully stopped his staff with my sword, and then pushed his hand and staff away and put my hand next to his gut and yelled, "Steel Dragon's Club!" His signature club came forth and extended, hitting him in the gut so hard I swore he saw stars. He stumbled away from me and I kept on the attack. I swung my sword at him a bit wildly and he used that wildness to his advantage, ducking underneath it and coming up with his staff right into my chin. My jaw shut closed as I had had my mouth open to yell and my head shot upwards towards the sky. Then with his staff he swept up my legs and I was parallel to the ground for a second, then he elbowed me in the gut with more strength than usual.

I crashed into the ground and created a small crater from the impact and groaned out in pain. I got up quickly though, as I knew if I wasted any time he would pounce on me and I quickly went on the attack this time. I swing under control this time and barely miss his chest as he was surprised by my quick recovery and jumped back a bit. He looked at me and yelled "Lanzallamas!" and fire spouted from his mouth and came right at me like Natsu's roar. 'Shit!' I rolled back a bit and yelled, "Iron Dragon's Roar!" and my signature roar came out and met his fire. The result was a massive magical explosion and we both we're thrown back a bit. Since the room is so small, however, we both hit the wall and hit it hard.

I groan as my back is now sore but I stand up regardless, as does he and we both walk back to the middle of the room. We then charge again, and meet in the middle and begin trading blows with each other, as our weapons are now gone. We each connect with a blow to the jaw and then to the gut. Then we both start blocking each other's blows and keep going for what feels like hours, but in reality it's only a few minutes. 'Huh, how long have we been doing this for? Hmmm, well after the whole Gildarts thing… Huh, maybe thirty minutes total right now. Fuck!' I feel his fist hit me in the face, as I distracted myself and he pounced on that moment and nailed me.

I fly back a bit and land a bit farther away than where he was, and sense someone else is near. 'Reinforcements? Probably, but for who: me or him?'

Then I see the one man who gave me the creeps when I stayed with them before: Mern. 'Well I'm fucked, two on one is gonna be impossible for me. But hey, at least I get to join Ronin.' Then he did something odd, as Karr came in as well, he looked to Esoj and yelled, "Thorn Sword!" and attacked Esoj. But Esoj knew something was up and yelled, "Espada de Acero!"

"I fucking knew it you bastard. You two were working for the council the whole time, right?" Esoj said and the two of them nodded. I looked at them and cursed myself, for not knowing this beforehand and warning them. 'But there is something I can do for him now.' I ran up to where the three of them were and got behind Karr, getting into my Steel Shadow dragon mode, and yelled, "Steel Shadow Dragon's Roar!" My new roar hit Karr in the back of the head and sent him flying into the wall, where he crashed through it and went out of the arena. Blinked and thought that I knew he was pretty weak compared to me, but not that weak.

Mern turned around and looked at me but then was punched by Esoj into the wall. "Oi, Esoj. You win. I surrender myself and ask to join the Ronin."

(POV Change Back to Esoj)

"Serious?" I asked him, surprised by what he said and he nods at me. "Well, then I accept your request. Repeat after me please."

Gajeel nodded and we both said the motto, "THOUGH WE MAY HAVE NO TRUE HOME WE ARE NEVER ALONE! THOUGH NO ONE MAY WANT US WILL DO WHAT IS NEEDED! THOUGH NO ONE MAY APPRECIATE WHAT WE DO WE WILL ALWAYS DO THE RIGHT THING! WE ARE THE FORSAKEN, THE FORGOTTEN, THE LOST, WE ARE THE RONIN! DEATH TO OUR ENEMIES AND TO THE EVER LASTING GLORY THAT AWAITS US IN THE FUTURE. LIVE! FIGHT! LIVE AND FIGHT FOREVER!"

We looked at each other and he said, "The Redfoxes are at your service, now how can I help?"

"Go and see where Lucy is, I get the feeling something happened and she had to help…um…" I start to say but wonder if I should tell him about Juvia or not.

"Go and help Juvia, yeah I know who she is, never could fool me I have known her for a long time but nice try. I'll be back" He said and I sighed and motioned for him to leave, and he did.

I turned to Mern and saw as he got up and looked at me. I gripped my sword and charged at him, and begun my fight to the death with our mole.

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 **A/N: Wow. What a good surprise for once! If you're wondering what ironwood is look it up, it's a real thing apparently. Well that's all for today, the count is down to four and Remember! READ AND REVIEW, OR FAVORITE OR FOLLOW EVEN IF YOU SO PLEASE! ADIOS!**


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 60: For there to be betrayal, there had to have been trust first

 **A/N: Sixty chapters. We have reached the sixty chapter mark ladies and gentlemen who are not really gentle. I never expected this story to be this long, but my brain just had so many ideas that this came to happen. I never would have guessed we reach sixty, but here we are and we're almost done! The final fight will be Sunday, probably, and then two or so clean up chapters and we're done. That's it. Except for epilogue but that won't be as often as this story was. And looking at the calendar, this story will end on it's two month anniversary, probably. But enough of me feeling like I did something, shout out to the very morbid review of sashaXmafuyuFOREVER and the review of brucie86, thanks guys! Now, ENJOY!**

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(Esoj POV)

I charge at Mern and bring my sword up, our swords colliding midair, sending sparks off of them. Then we start trading blows with our swords and block each other at every turn, never able to get a clean hit on the other. Then we lock swords for a moment and look each other in the eye, keeping our gazes locked as we struggled to gain dominance. "Oh, so you saw this coming? Do you hate me for my betrayal? You know, I hoped it would be you I would get to fight. I hoped I would get to show you the power of Greer, the power that I was bestowed!" He said and I knew he was looking for a distraction, so instead I kicked him in the knee and he buckled and our swords broke apart.

I kicked him in the jaw and he went flying away from where we were, hitting the wall soon after. "Betrayal? No you're just a traitor on principal, but this isn't a betrayal. There had to have been trust for this to be a betrayal, and I never trusted you: never. I always knew something was up with you, and I never believed your story for a second. Not even one. But here we are, so let's dance. Get up and fight me and show me the power you spilled so much blood to get!" I yelled and he got up and charged at me, faster than I remember him being. But still not blindingly fast. I saw him coming still and threw a punch into his jaw, side stepping his stab and he went down for a second.

"So still not fast enough to fool you, huh? Well then I will have to go faster!" He said and charged at me again, even faster than the last time. I only had time to side step a bit and block his sword, then he yelled, "Thorns!" and I was almost impaled by his thorns. Almost. I saw his hand come up so his thorns would focus on me and I dodged, jumping high into the air avoiding all of his thorns.

I yelled, "Lanzallamas!" and fire came out of my mouth, burning all the thorns away and forcing Mern to dodge. As he rolled out of the way I grabbed a block of steel and yelled, "Ballas de Acero! Cuerpo de Acero!" Some of the steel broke off into little bullets and flew at Mern. He saw them but didn't move, instead he yelled, "Thorn Bullet!" His own bullets, made of thorns, shot out of his hand and collided with my own, destroying them. But as this happened, the rest of the block of steel morphed and came over my body, creating a second layer of skin for me. A layer of steel skin. I landed from my jump and looked at Mern who looked at me like I was an alien. I scoffed at his reaction and charged, still holding onto my sword. We collided again and traded blows with our swords again, but this time we each land a hit. He lands the first one, a cut to my upper arm that isn't very deep but will be annoying. My hit however is much deeper, as land a hit on his thigh and did so as he cut my arm. The cut on his thigh is deep, and might have actually cut some tendons or ligaments, but it doesn't seem to faze him.

We break apart from each other and I see that his cut is closing up already, 'What?! He's healing? How? He doesn't have medical magic… Wait, what's closing the wound up? Are those his thorns?' I looked more carefully and saw that indeed, his thorns were sewing up the wound albeit crudely. 'Uh oh. If he can heal himself like that I am at a disadvantage, he can take more hits than me and that's how I like to fight. Endurance fighting, taking more hits than my opponent. This is bad. I need to be quick about it, or I could use precision to win. Hmmm, neither way really suits me so I guess I'll have to take more damage than him somehow. Well, I don't like losing so I'll figure it out.'

I looked Mern in the eye and he smirked at me, saying, "Surprised? Yes if I wish to I can repair wounds with my thorns as if my thorns were a surgeon. I like to have nice, long fights enjoy the thrill of battle you see. So do you. So let's ignore the banter of a battle and let's just fight, see who the victor shall be. Who the better mage is, who the better man…"

He never finished as I charged him and punched him in the gut, then elbowed him in the back of the head as hunched over in pain. "You're right. Enough talking. Let's dance." I said and grabbed him by the back of his shirt, then threw him up in the air and followed him up. He regained control of his body mid way up and then we started trading blow with our fists, the swords forgotten. He landed a punch to my jaw, but I landed a punch to his gut. Then we both landed a punch to each other's faces and then landed a punch to each other's gut, but I was able to sneak in a shot to his kidney with my free hand. All of this mid air.

We both landed and then jumped back a bit and yelled simultaneously, "Thorny Rose!" "Explosión de Fuego!" Two projectiles came forth and collided with each other mid air, creating a massive explosion. We jumped away from the blast and ended up near each other. He placed a hand on the ground and swung his leg around for a roundhouse kick, so I bent backwards and dodged. While bending backwards, I pointed a finger at him and yelled, "Balla de Acero!" A single steel came forth and shot out at him, but he saw it coming and dodged by rolling away from me.

We both jumped up to our feet and looked each other in the eye, gazes locking while we waited for someone to make a move. Then we both charged at the same time and went in to throw a punch, but I used my right arm and he used his left. This caused us to have our arms block each other's and our arms got tangled up. I didn't let it faze me though and instead grabbed his arm and jumped over his shoulder. As our arms were still tangled, I brought his arm with me and his arm was bent backwards with me. I jumped pretty far knowing I would land laying down, but so would Mern and as we did, I spun and got his arm in a Kimura Hold. His arm was lodged between my legs and with the slightest movement, I could break his arm. Or so I thought it would go but then Mern yelled, "Thorn Body!" Thorns shot out of his body and luckily I had seen this attack before, and was able to escape its reach but lost my hold on his arm.

I stand up after rolling away and look at where Mern was, but see he is no longer there. Instead he somehow got behind me and then punched me in the back of the head. I stumbled forward and he came up and elbowed me in the back, causing me to hit the ground harshly. I groan but get up immediately and see him almost on me, leaving me only the time to block his attack. I push him back using my superior height, and I push him far enough away from me that he is out of reach.

Then as he relaxed for a second, I grabbed his shirt and pulled him towards me and punched him square in the jaw. He went airborne for a second and I ran forward and grabbed his throat, then crushed him into the ground. I glare at him as I loom over him but also let my guard down for a moment, and he counter attacked at that precise moment. He yelled, "Thorn Time Bomb!" and then I felt an explosion on my upper arm area, right where he had cut me earlier.

'Damn it! My arm! Gah, this is bad I can barely feel my arm anymore and that's my dominant arm! Fuck! Shit, now what? Ummm, well there is always Cambia Cuerpo, but it's easier on my magic reserves when I do it with Nena at the same time. But unless I do it, then it'll be over quick as my arm is losing a lot of blood. No. I can't use that yet, it has to be my trump card. I'll just stop the bleeding for now, but how to distract him long enough…. That's it! Lava!' I saw him charging at me and I punched the ground and yelled, "Rio de Pierdas Calientes!" From where I stood to each end of the room, a river of lava appeared and blocked his path. I then grabbed a piece of cloth from my belt pouch and tied it around my arm, just above the gash. Then I cauterized the gash by using some of the lava to burn it.

I quickly began regaining feeling in my arm and was not a moment too soon as he was on me again. This time I was ready for him as I made the first move, kicking him as he arrived and he flew back towards the lava. He spun and yelled, "Thorn Wall!" creating a thorn wall to stop himself from the hitting the lava. So I made sure he did.

I grabbed a ball of steel, realizing it left me only one more, and yelled, "Vuelo de Bloque Acero!" A block of steel formed from the ball and flew at Mern as he flew towards the wall. The block's flight beat Mern's flight to the wall, and he was pushed through the wall and landed in the lava. I watched in surprise as the plan actually worked, he actually fell in the lava. But then I saw something even more shocking, the lava bubbled and then some sort of human shaped figure rose up from the lava. I looked more carefully and saw that it looked a lot like Mern, but everything that should have been skin was just thorns. 'No way. No fucking way, he should be sinking into the lava and burning up alive. No, it can't be. No.'

But sure enough, the thorns around what was the head receded and revealed his smirking face. "Surprised? What you see is my Thorn Cover technique, it is nearly indestructible." He gloated and I just sighed, knowing that it was too easy to be over like that. 'I'm gonna have to do more than that. But still, he is using what is most likely his most secret and useful technique. His trump card. And I still have mine. I got this.'

I charged at him and attacked, but he saw me coming and tried to punch me before I could. But I was already mid punch and we used the opposite arms again, and our arms got tangled up again. But this is what I wanted as I grabbed my last ball of steel and yelled, "Ballas de Acero!" Bullets of steel came forth from the ball and hit Mern straight in the gut, piercing his armor of thorns. They came out of the other side of his body and he crumbled, falling face first to the ground as blood poured out of his body.

"Tch. So much for indestructible. That all you got?" I said as I picked up his head nad then said, "Espada de Acero." I had noticed that one bullet had gotten lodged in his body and it morphed, coming out of his back and into my hand as a sword.

"Just do it. Just kill me. You won, and I lost. All because I got cocky for a minute. Tsk, how embarrassing. The great Greer, defeated by a man who couldn't even save his home." He said and I really had to fight the urge to do as he asked. "What are you waiting for? Just do it and end my embarrassment. Please."

"NO. No more killing, I have already killed one person too many a year ago, when Zeref was the only one I wanted to kill. You I don't hate enough to do it, I can't kill you. I pity you, not hate you. But I will leave you a parting gift." I said and swung my sword down and cut his right arm clean off. He howled in pain, but I could already see his thorns sealing up the wound, making sure he survived the battle. "Now leave this place and leave Fiore altogether. If we ever meet again, I will not show you the mercy I have today. Now, goodnight."

I gripped my sword tighter and hit him on the head with its hilt, knocking him out cold. I stood up from where I was and looked around. I saw the room was a mess and the exit was on the other side of the room, past where the lava was. I sighed and looked up and yelled, "Salida de Tierra!" The earth beneath me shot up, carrying me outside to the roof, and saw Nena sitting up. She was rubbing her head and I knew that Mern had knocked her out, but that otherwise she was fine. I walked over to her and sat down next to her, giving her a kiss on the head where she was rubbing it. "Hey babe. How are you?"

"Sore, that bastard Mern was a traitor and knocked me out cold. Please tell me you dealt with him already." She asked and gave me kiss on the cheek.

"Yeah, I just did. Made sure he felt our wrath too. What are you doing anyways? Who's still fighting?" I asked and she sighed.

"I honestly don't know, other than Natsu and Lucy, yes she's fighting now, everyone else is all over the place. Let me tell you what you missed, Kurayami came by and filled me in just a moment ago. But he had to go back immediately." She said and I nodded, wondering just what the hell I had missed during my hour of fighting.

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 **A/N: Whew. That was fun to write and sorry to sashaXmafuyuFOREVER who wanted to see Mern dead. But, I am so done killing people, honestly. Hahaha, but no seriously no more deaths. Well, I hope you guys liked it and I hope you guys stayed tuned, because tomorrow is the light and shadow duo showdown. Remember! READ AND REVIEW, OR FAVORITE OR FOLLOW EVEN IF YOU SO PLEASE! ADIOS!**


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 61: Strength Comes From the Will to Win

 **A/N: First, let me give the usual shout out to sashaXmafuyuFOREVER and brucie86 for their reviews! Glad you guys liked it. Now, secondly we have the number four. Four. That's how many fights remain. We are down to four. FOUR. Gah! We are so close to the end I can taste it! It's a good bittersweet taste with some spiciness via Natsu and some iciness from Gray… I'm glad there not fighting because they would just end up bickering at each other instead of fighting. But they're not today's fighters, no it's Sting and Rogue vs. Gōsuto and Rai. So here we go! ENJOY!**

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In Naito- Half an hour ago (Gōsuto POV)

We arrived back at our base and looked around, seeing that everything was normal. "Good, we beat them. Rai, get everyone except for my dad on Metalicana's back and out of here. Now. I'll make sure that when they get here and figure out that Hoshi is gone, they can't escape. Now go and make sure everyone is safe." I said and Rai nodded, running off inside as I jumped on the roof.

I looked around on the roof and saw what I was looking for, right where it should have been. I walked over and kneeled next to a little black box, and opened it. I looked inside and saw the switch that I wanted and flipped it. A small dome of runes appeared from the top of the box and a set of letters came from the box as well. I typed in the specific set of runes that I wanted and pressed a button. The dome spun around and the runes began to form on the dome. Then, it suddenly expanded to become a massive dome, and it covered all of Naito and cut off on the outskirts of town. 'Good it still works. Good thing dad installed this when he retired and became this city's only, albeit inactive, mage. These runes will let people in once I fully activate it, but they won't be able to leave anymore. Where is dad? I need to send him back to report everything that's happening before the Saber twins get here and he's trapped. The others too, they need to leave now.' As I was thinking that, I saw a dragon, Metalicana I guessed, fly away with some people in his back. 'Good they're gone, now where is dad?'

"Gōsuto! Here's your dad! But we got a problem! The Sabers are in Naito already! Hurry up and tell your dad what you now!" Rai yelled and I cursed to myself and jumped down off the roof with the rune activator in my hand.

"Quick, everyone inside we don't want to tip them off just yet. We'll hide in Hoshi's room for now. Dad, I need you to go and tell everyone back in Magnolia what's happening and that everyone is safe. Go now, before I put up the runes and you're stuck here. Go!" I said and my dad looked at me.

"How do you expect me to get there?" He said and I thought about it, then face palmed. "The flying dragon is gone and the other one can't fly, how the fuck am I supposed to get there?!"

"We'll help!" Said a very happy sounding and high-pitched voice I had not heard in a year and we all turned to see three flying cats. "Happy and the exceeds at your service!"

"What the fuck is an exceed. Lily, why are you here? Are you an 'Exceed?' And who's the white one?" Rai asked what we were all thinking in our heads.

"Yes, we are what is known as an exceed, our history is long and complicated. But trust us, if we fly there he could be there in twenty minutes, if we all do it at once. Kurayami trust us, and let's go." Lily said in his military voice and dad looked at me.

I shrugged and he sighed and nodded to them. They all came forward and took a hold of shoulder and I called out to him, "Hey dad, take this lacrima so you can keep tabs on the battle!" He looked over his shoulder and nodded, catching the lacrima as I threw it to him. The exceeds flew off, yelling "Max Speed!" and disappearing over the horizon.

I looked at Rai and motioned for us to go inside. He nodded and we ran inside as he said, "The motion sensor lacrima says there almost here, we better hurry!" I nodded and we ran faster, reaching little Hoshi's room soon after. I motioned for him to take position above the door, as the room is huge and the ceiling is high. I take position in the corner of the room, just above the changing station and close to the crib. Then we wait for a minute, then the door flies open and we see Rogue and Sting barge in.

They look around and wait a minute before Sting says, "Where the fuck is this baby?"

Then I look at Rai and nod, then we both jump down and in mid air yell, "Light Beam!" "Shadow Beam!" Two beams, one made of shadows and the other of light shoot out and hit the saber twins, the opposite element hitting each of the sabers. They both fly back and we grab one, me grabbing Rogue and Rai grabbing Sting, and we run away from each other.

We split up and went to different parts of the house, me going to the outdoor training area by jumping out a window near Hoshi's room. We both land away from each other and roll to our feet. "Ah, now I see why Hoshi wasn't there, Lucy must have sent you. So Gōsuto, you think you can stop me? Because you must know, I never went all out in front of Natsu and you aren't exactly the strongest mage in Ronin." Rogue said and I scoffed.

"You think just because your dragon slayer your stronger than everyone else? Please. Spare me your ego, and let me show you the true power of demon hybrid. I hope you brought extra underwear, because you'll shit yourself in fear soon enough." I said trying to match his ego, hoping to see if he would react in any way.

He did, but in a very interesting way, "Ok, then show me some of your demon power then. Show me what a hybrid demon can do." He looked at me expectantly and I knew I had to show him at least some form of my demon change. 'Phase one for now, but he doesn't seemed worried at all that I can become a demon. In fact he looks excited by the fact. Damn these dragon slayers are crazy when it comes to proving battle prowess. Well, I have no choice then here we go!'

I gathered magical energy in my body and built it up, until I had more than enough. Then I let the inner blocks on my demon forms release for the first phase and I felt my body change. I saw my skin become pitch black, and I felt my muscles grow slightly as did my body as a whole, making me taller. I stood upright and I knew the change was complete and looked at Rogue. He looked excited and like he was ready to fight. I sighed quietly and then charged so fast he barely saw me, landing a blow to his throat as I clotheslined him. I carried him on my arm for a little bit and then spun, releasing my hold on him as I punched him in the back of the head. He staggered forward and slid low to get in front of and beneath him, then yelled, "Shadow Beam: Hand!" A beam of my shadows came forth and took the form of a hand, and it grabbed his face. Then I kicked his feet out from under him and he fell on his back. Then the hand expanded and trapped his head to the ground, and I saw him try and eat the shadows but was unable to. Then he mumbled something and a torrent of magic spouted from his mouth and destroyed the hand.

'So that's his roar, it really is something else man. Being able to destroy the shadow hand in demon phase one is a outstanding feat. Well here comes the shock and the required explanation.' I looked at Rogue and he was looking at me blankly, shocked that he couldn't eat the shadows. "Yes, my shadows cannot be eaten by dragon slayers. Because they are not real shadows, per say. No they are artificially produced in my body. This is because I was made into a shadow demon and when in my demon form my shadows are not taken from the environment like they usually are. Instead I make my own shadows, its why my body is pitch black now. I am the shadows now." I explained and he looked at me dumbfounded, surprised by the fact that he was the one at a disadvantage in a battle of shadows.

He shook his head and sighed, then said, "Guess I'll just have to beat you with what magic I have. Better make this battle a serious one." He said and suddenly, he released a lot of magical energy and his body became shrouded in shadows. "This is my Shadow Drive mode, similar to your demon mode so this should be fun."

Then he charged and we started trading blows, each of us landing a blow to the others gut then to the jaw. We each jump back and I throw my hands up and yell, "Shadow Cannon!" unleashing a massive torrent of shadows at Rogue. He yells "Shadow Dragon's Roar!" in response and the two attacks meet mid air. The result of the collision is a massive explosion that sends us back a bit, but we both land on our feet. Then we charge at each other again, trading punches and kicks as we reached each other. I landed a blow to his gut, but he landed one to my face. Then I landed another one to his gut and followed it up with one to his gut and a kick to his knee. He crumbled and I finished my combo with a kick to his face, but he blocked my kick with his arm.

But it wasn't enough, as I kept pushing and eventually broke his block and finished the kick, sending him flying away. He tried to stop himself by spinning but I didn't let him as I yelled, "Shadow Beam!" and my signature beam hit him and he kept flying. Eventually he stopped, when he hit the wall and made a human shaped dent in it. "Have enough yet?" I asked mockingly and the only response I got was a massive surge of magical energy from him. I looked and saw that he had entered a new mode of his dragon slaying magic that gave him a shroud of shadows and spikier hair. He also had markings on his face and he looked mad now.

He charged before I could get off my usual sarcastic remark and he was on me so fast I barely saw him. He punched me in the gut a few times so fast that I missed it, then he threw an uppercut that nailed me in the jaw. But before I could stumble back, he grabbed my now exposed neck and crushed me into the ground. I groaned and got up quickly and disappeared into the shadows, claiming them as mine. He tried to follow and beat me in the shadows, but couldn't as I now owned the shadows. He growled at that and tried to follow me but I was too fast in my shadows. I revealed myself but he didn't see it as I was behind him now and I yelled, "Shadow Cannon!" The torrent of shadows spouted from my hands and nailed him in the back, but he didn't even flinch.

"Hahahaha! You think that level of attack will do anything against me? Please! I'm in my dragon force mode, you'll have to do more than that!" He said and looked at me, but I knew this was the case already.

I released another set of blocks inside of me and entered phase two of my demon mode, 'Two phases in now, gonna have to be careful if I need to enter phase three. I lose all conscious thought of right and wrong when I do, and I don't want that to happen. Let's hope this all he can muster." I charge at him and am faster and bigger than before, so fast that he doesn't really see me at first. I land a clean hit to his face, breaking his nose for sure as he went flying away. He hit a boulder that was on the field and he created a massive hole in the boulder.

He got up and shrugged it off and we both charged each other again, and started our usual exchange of blows each of us landing a blow to the other's gut. But before we could keep going a massive explosion rocked the mansion and the area outside and we looked to see Rai and Sting fighting their way to us. I looked and saw Rogue was distracted and I punched him in the face and yelled, "Shadow Cannon!". THIS time when it hit he was sent flying back, my increased power the reason why it worked. Rai had also gained the upper hand for a moment and sent Sting flying back to where we where Rogue had gone.

"So how's it going?" Rai asked as came over to where I was and I shrugged, both of us beaten up a bit and bloodied. "Phase Two?"

"Phase Two." I answered and he nodded, "You having any trouble?"

"Eh, a little to be honest bit so are you obviously. Your throat is all black and shit. Ugly like your face." He said and I looked at him feigning anger, then we both started laughing as he said, "Yeah let me tell you what happened."

Back to When the Duo Separated (Rai POV)

Then Gōsuto looked me and nods, then we both jump down and in mid air yell, "Light Beam!" "Shadow Beam!" Two beams, one made of shadows and the other of light shoot out and hit the saber twins, the opposite element hitting each of the sabers. They both fly back and we grab one, he grabs Rogue and I grab Sting, and we run away from each other.

We split up and went to different parts of the house, I lead him to the meeting room which was empty now and big enough for us to fight. We both land away from each other and roll to our feet. "Ah, now I see why Hoshi wasn't there, Lucy-san sent you. Name's Sting Eucliffe, what's yours?" Sting asked.

"Raitonekusasu, nice to meet you, master of Sabertooth. Now, let me say while you are powerful, I don't believe your as strong as a demon." I said hoping to irritate him and make him sloppy.

He didn't bit, but reacted in a very interesting way, "Ok, then show me some of your demon power then. Show me what a hybrid demon can do." He looked at me expectantly and I knew I had to show him at least some form of my demon change. 'Phase one for now, but he doesn't seemed worried at all that I can become a demon. Damn these dragon slayers are crazy! Especially when it comes to proving their battle prowess. Well, I guess there is no choice then. Here I come!'

I gathered magical energy in my body and built it up, until I had more than enough. Then I let the inner blocks on my demon forms release for the first phase and I felt my body change. I saw my skin become as bright as a star, and I felt my muscles grow slightly as did my body as a whole, making me taller, almost a giant. I stood upright and I knew the change was complete and looked at Sting. He looked excited and like he was ready to throw down. I sighed quietly at his face and charged so fast he barely saw me, landing a blow to his gut causing him to keel over in pain. I loomed him over him for a little bit and then I elbowed him in the back of the head. He staggered forward and I jumped up high above him and he was beneath me now, then I yelled, "Light Beam: Cannonball!" A beam of my light came forth and took the form of a cannonball, and it nailed his face as he turned around to face me. Then he tried to eat the cannonball but was unable to. Then he mumbled something and a torrent of magic spouted from his mouth and destroyed the cannonball before it exploded.

'So that's his roar, huh? He sure is strong to destroy my demon shadows. Well here comes the shock and the required explanation that I always have to give people who don't understand my magic.' I looked at Sting and he was looking at me concerned, checking to see if his mouth still worked. "Yes, your mouth still works you idiot. It's just that dragon slayers cannot eat my light. Because they are not real light, per say. No they are artificially produced in my body. This is because I was made into an oxymoron demon, a light demon and when in my demon form my light is not taken from the environment like they usually are. Instead I make my own light, it's why my body is so bright now. I am the light now." I explained and he looked at me like I just tried to explain physics to him, unable to comprehend the fact that he was the one at a disadvantage in a battle of light. "Ugh! You cannot eat stuff that is not made in nature like my light you dumbass!"

He nodded his head in understanding, then said, "Guess I'll just have to beat you with what magic I have. Better go all out for this one." He said and suddenly, he released a lot of magical energy and his body became shrouded in light. "This is my White Drive mode, similar to your demon mode so this should be fun."

Then he charged and we started trading blows, each of us landing a blow to the others kidney then to the face. We each stagger back a bit and I throw my hands up and yell, "Light Cannon!" unleashing a massive torrent of bright light at Sting. He yells "Light Dragon's Roar!" in response and the two attacks meet mid air. The result of the collision is a massive explosion that sends us back a bit, but we both land on our feet. Then we charge at each other again, trading punches and kicks as we reached each other. I landed a blow to his kidney again, but he landed one to my face. Then I landed another one to his kidney, my favorite spot to hit, and followed it up with one to his gut and a kick to his knee. He crumbled and I finished my combo with an uppercut to his face, but he blocked my fist with his arms.

But it wasn't enough, as I kept pushing and eventually broke his block and finished the uppercut, sending him flying into the ceiling. He tried to stop himself by spinning so he could land feet first on the ceiling and propel himself off it, but I didn't let him. I yelled, "Light Beam!" and my beam hit him and he kept flying through the ceiling and into the next floor. Eventually he stopped, when he hit that room's ceiling and made a human shaped dent in it. "Done already?" I asked mockingly and the only response I got was a massive surge of magical energy from him. I looked and saw that he had entered a new mode of his dragon slaying magic that gave him a shroud of light and spikier hair. He also had markings on his face and he looked mad now.

He charged before I could get off a sly remark and he was on me so fast I barely saw him. He punched me in the face a few times so fast that I swore I went unconscious and woke up because of the punched. then he threw an uppercut that nailed me in the jaw. But before I could stumble back, he grabbed my now exposed neck and crushed me into the ground. I groaned and got up quickly and yelled, "Light Flare!" He growled at that and tried to grab me but couldn't as he couldn't see. I ran being him and revealed myself to him but he didn't see me as I was behind him and I yelled, "Light Cannon!" The torrent of shadows spouted from my hands and nailed him in the back, but he didn't even move. Instead he thought he felt a fly hit him and he swatted at it but then realized it was me.

"Hahahaha! That level of attack? Really, you think that will do anything against me? Please! I'm in my dragon force mode, you'll have to do more than that!" He said and looked at me, but I knew this was the case already. So I release my second set of blocks inside of me and reached my second phase, now brighter and bigger than before. Faster too as I charged and yelled, "Light Meteor!" I turned into a human meteor and charged even faster. I reached him and took him out of this room and into the next three in a row.

We stopped moving and he pushed me off of him, then he yelled, "Light Dragon's Roar!" And I knew what was coming, so I yelled back, "Light Cannon!" and our two attacks met again. This time the explosion was even bigger than the last time and rocked the mansion, creating a massive hole that we both went out of. We traded blows for a second then saw we ended up where Gōsuto and Rogue were fighting. Seeing his comrade get sent flying away, Sting got distracted and I took advantage of it. I yelled "Light Cannon!" and he went flying, the attack working this time.

Back to Present (Gōsuto POV)

"Wow. Sounds just like my battle in reality." I said and Rai nodded.

"It's because they're so similar to each other, they do so many of the same things." He said and I nodded, then we heard groans as the sabers got up and looked at us.

Then they both gave us a look that said that they were fed up with us and once again release magical energy. This time it was different and was something only dragon slayers of high caliber could do. They each had shadows and light all around them and were shrouded in it, but looked very tired. "This is probably your limit huh? One more attack and that's it huh?" I asked and they didn't say anything but instead got ready to do something. "Unison Raid. Well Rai looks like we have no choice. It's time for phase three."

"Whoa there, phase three? But we might end up hurting each other like that." He said and I shrugged.

"We can't lose, we'll be evenly matched this way but we have the advantage. They're doing this because it's their job, to beat Natsu and us as a whole. They have no emotion behind it. We have the power of our will to win, we cannot lose because if we do, it puts our families at risk. We will win this final exchange." I said and Rai sighed then nodded and we released the final blocks holding back our full demon forms. This form is what no one else could achieve but was dangerous as we lost our cognitive thoughts. We grew absolutely huge in terms of muscles and lost all thoughts.

(Third Person POV)

The saber dragon twins looked at their opponents and were shocked by the change. They looked more like animals than humans now but they were also getting into position for their own unison raid. The sabers got ready themselves and yelled, a bit still uneasy of their opponents, "Holy Shadow Dragon's Flash Fang!"

Their opponents yelled something unintelligible and launched their own attack. The two attacks met mid air and struggled for a moment, but then something odd happened. The demon's attack broke through the sabers attack as a single thought passed through the demon's minds. 'Family.'

The attack hit the two sabers and expanded, engulfing them before it exploded and knocked them out cold, ending their battle. The demons were panting, regressing back into their base human forms, their senses returning as the exhaustion of the long battle set in.

(POV Change Back to Gōsuto)

We were breathing heavily and I realized we could no longer keep the blocks open anymore and had gone back to our base forms. "We did it… we really did it man." I said and slumped over, leaning on Rai's much taller frame.

"Yeah, we did brother. We really did." He said and looked down at me and said, "If you can open the dimensions, we should head back and join the others."

"Yeah I can. Come on let's go." I said and we went through the dimensions back to Magnolia where my dad was, victorious and successful in our mission. Our families safe and sound.

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 **A/N: WHEW! What a battle that was! I hope you guys liked it and now we are down to three. And the next three are all main characters in the actual series so the OC's are done fighting. I hope you enjoyed it, and Remember! READ AND REVIEW, OR FAVORITE OR FOLLOW EVEN IF YOU SO PLEASE! ADIOS!**


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 62: The Power of Love

 **A/N: Hello. I am going to be quick because I'm excited for this chapter so shout out to sashaXmafuyuFOREVER and brucie86 as always. NOW we are down to five more chapters TOTAL in the story and this might be the biggest tear jerker. That's because we have arrived at the moment all GRUVIA fans have been waiting for: Juvia vs. Gray. Here we go! ENJOY!**

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Start of Battles (Juvia POV)

Juvia lands on the roof and is immediately pulled aside by Lucy who says, "Ok Juvia, you know what to do. Show that bastard what he left behind, show him how much you hate him and show him the fruits of your labor. I'll be watching over you. GO!"

Juvia nods and look at the lacrima and see he is in the room next to the biggest room and it is a very average room. 'Juvia is excited! Such a meaningless room, perfect for showing her indifference to Gray. It is perfect for Juvia.' Juvia runs to the hole and jump down into the room, and lands soon afterwards.

Gray hears something behind him and looks at Juvia, saying, "Lucy, so you finally came… Wh- who are you?"

(POV Change to Gray)

I see a woman in front of me with blond hair and blue eyes, but isn't Lucy. Instead she looks just like Juvia. Safe to say that I am floored by her appearance, 'No way, this can't be Juvia. My Juvia's eyes are never filled with that much hatred and anger. Those may look like her eyes on the surface but they're not hers.'

Then as if to confirm my thoughts, the woman said, "Sol's name is Sol. Sol will now kill you, Gray Fullbuster. Die." And suddenly she charged and kicked me square in the jaw, sending me flying away from her and into the wall.

I hit the wall and bounced off, landing on the ground with a thud but I don't even realize it. 'That was just how Juvia kicked her enemies! That little jump spin that adds power to her kicks! But there's no way this is Juvia… no, there's no chance.' I get up and groan as I do so, saying, "Well, as you know my name is Gray Fullbuster. Now where is Lucy? And why do you look my missing wife?! HUH?! DO YOU KNOW WHERE SHE IS?!" I yell and the woman scoffs.

"Please refrain yourself from yelling useless nonsense. Sol will crush you, there is no need for Lucy to come here and do it. As for your wife, she is dead. Juvia Fullbuster died a while ago." Sol said and I felt my usually cold body heat up in rage from her comments.

"NO! She is alive! I know it! Now tell me where she is, I know you know! TELL ME! Ice Make: Prison!" I yelled and ice came forth and trapped her inside of a cage of ice. She merely laughed and liquefied herself to get out…

'No… no this can't be. She talks like Juvia. She fights like Juvia. She has magic like Juvia. She looks like Juvia. But… this can't be my Juvia. This can't be!' I paused for a moment than asked her, "You. Are you Juvia? Juvia, is that you babe?"

"Like Sol said, Juvia died. She died two years ago. Now, there is only Sol." She said and charged me and yelled, "Water Nebula!" Two pillars of water came forth and came at me. I threw my hands up and froze the water and let her come at me. I dodged her kicks and all of her other attacks before she yelled, "Water Slicer!"

It was then that I knew that I was fighting Juvia. 'Her attacks are even the same… This is Juvia! But something is wrong here, it's like she doesn't remember me or like she was brainwashed… Natsu you bastard. Lucy you captured her back then and then together with Natsu, brainwashed her. But just how bad is the brainwashing? I have to find out now!'

I let the attack hit me and it cut open my shirt, which was still on since I had kicked my stripping habit after I lost Juvia. It exposed my torso that had a new addition to it, a tattoo that had the initials G.F. + J.F. in a heart that was pierced by an arrow. She saw the tattoo and scowled, as I said, "Juvia that is you. What happened to you? What did Lucy and Natsu do to you? What did they tell you?"

"They told Juvia the truth! That everyone in Fairy Tail forgot Juvia and left me for dead! That they did not care and that you especially were indifferent to her! For a whole year you did nothing until you got bored and wanted me back so you could use Juvia again! And that you lied about what year it was so that Juvia would come back thinking that Natsu-san and Lucy-san lied to Juvia! Well Juvia will let you know that she will no longer let you use her! That foolish Juvia that you knew died two years ago. This is the new Juvia, no this is Sol!" She yelled and I was shocked by how deep Natsu and Lucy's deception went.

'My gods. Just how far did they go in brainwashing her? She thinks it's been two years since we got separated. It's been only one though, how did they convince her of that? And that we didn't care that she was gone? I mean we had a funeral and everything, and I went looking for her while I was training. I got this tattoo to remind myself of my goal, this scar on my face fighting demons that I thought had her captive. I never thought she had died, there was no proof, no body for me to see and believe. I never stopped believing. I cared too much for her for that to happen. But how to show her that this is the truth? I guess there's always just saying it. Yeah I'll do that.'

I moved closer to her and tried to tell her what was on my heart, but instead got a kick to my face in response. I go flying into the wall and hit it hard, then she runs up and knees me in the gut so hard I almost lose the contents of my stomach.

I rest on the floor, on all fours and catch my breath, and as I do I try to tell her again and say, "JUVIA! Listen to me! Just…" but I never get the chance to finish my statement as she charges at me again and kicks me in the gut and sends me into the wall again. I land on the ground again and try to catch my breath again and say, "JUVIA! STOP THAT! Listen, please listen to me!"

"NO! Enough of your lies, you made Juvia feel welcomed and loved but Juvia now knows it was all a lie! You never loved Juvia! You never cared for Juvia! You never felt the way Juvia did! You only wanted Juvia for your own personal use! Well Juvia's eyes have been opened and reborn as Sol's eyes! You may not call Sol by her real name because you have trampled all over that name! NOW! fight!" She yelled and I knew that talking was going to get us nowhere.

'Fuck, now what? She's clearly too far gone and caught up in Lucy's lies, and I have no way to convince her. But I can't fight her, I love her too damn much to risk hurting her. AGH! What do I do? Do I try and talk and get through to her that way or…' My reverie is interrupted as she runs up and yells, "Wings of Love!" A massive whirlpool of water appears and swallows me up, the current to strong to escape. I cannot move either, the current too strong to allow for movement, which means I can't freeze the water.

'Fuck! I have no choice! I'll just have to take the assault for now and try and convince her later. For now, I must survive this onslaught!' I brace myself as I am finally spit out of the whirlpool and hit the ceiling so hard I thought I might break through it. I don't, and fall down to the floor but never reach it as Juvia is there and kicks me. I keep flying after that and hit the wall, and she is there again to knee me into the wall even further. I feel the cool air of the outside on my back and fall to the ground, on all fours as I catch my breath and try and recover some strength before the next onslaught. 'Damn! She is way stronger than before! Lucy and Natsu must have trained her and made her like this. She's on a whole other level than a year ago, she's almost as strong as me and other than Laxus I'm the strongest Fairy Tail mage here. Damn, I think she broke some ribs on that last attack. I need to convince her that she's been lied to, but I don't know how… WAIT! THAT'S IT!'

I jump and yell at her, "You wanna fight? Fine! Follow me!" I turned to the wall and saw the hole was too small to sneak through so I yelled, "Ice Make: Ice Impact!" A hammer comes out and is specially made to destroy walls, so it does just that and the entire wall is destroyed. I run outside and run towards where I know I have something that I can use to convince her: our old house.

(POV Change Back to Juvia)

Juvia chases after Gray and see that he is leading her in the direction of the house they used to share and Juvia wonders, 'Why would he lead Juvia there? It makes no sense to Juvia. Let us see just what vile plans he has in store for Juvia.'

Juvia chases after him, not gaining any ground on him until we reach the house and he breaks down the door. Juvia follows him in and is immediately floored by what she see inside the house. There in the main room, is a beautiful ice sculpture of two people, one man who is holding a woman's arm lovingly. The woman looks very happy and is looking at the man, her eyes full of love and wonder of the man. The man has the same look on his face and both of them have a ring on, wedding rings Juvia realizes. These people in the sculpture are two people Juvia recognizes, as they are Juvia and Gray. 'Did he really make this for me? For when I disappeared? Was he telling the truth?'

"Juvia, you know how this specific type of my ice make magic works. Look at the base, it has the years the sculpture has been around for, and this is the truth. This magic cannot lie no matter how much the creator might try." Gray said and Juvia looked at the base of the statue. She gasped as it read, 'X798, X799.' The years that supposedly had already passed and was missing a year, a year that clearly had yet to come.

'Did- did Lucy-san and Natsu-san lie to Juvia? Is Gray telling the truth? Does- does Gray-sama actually love Juvia?' I wondered until he grabbed Juvia's hand and led Juvia to our bedroom. And what Juvia saw made her break into tears. On the bed, on the side that Juvia slept on was the hat that Juvia had worn the day she disappeared, and next to it a glass of water that Juvia always had for when she woke up.

And in that moment, Juvia did wake up. She realized that her Gray-sama did love her like he said he did and that she had been lied to. Gray-sama came up to her and pulled her into a tear-filled hug, both of us crying as we realized we were finally reunited. "I told you, or at least tried to, I love you more than you will ever know." Then he turned Juvia so Juvia faced him and then claimed juvia's lips in the most earth shattering kiss that he has ever given Juvia. We stay like that, having the most passionate kiss of our lives until we hear a crash and look to see what it was.

Then we see that it is the woman who caused all of our pain, Lucy Dragneel.

(POV Change to Lucy)

"Shit. I'm too late." I said and reached for my keys as I saw them get spells ready for me and I yell, "Open gate of the water-bearer! Aquarius!" Aquarius appeared and stopped their spell from even being launched by washing them away with her water. I then ran outside to get even more open space and see that Gray had frozen the water and the couple was outside with me.

"Lucy! You lying bitch! You lied to my precious Juvia! You caused her untold pain and now we as Fullbusters must show you what the consequences for that are!" Gray yelled and I rolled my eyes, 'I could beat these guys without even breaking a sweat. Easy.'

"Whoa there stripper. Rain woman, Juvia, listen to me here." A new voice said and I turned to see Gajeel here, "Listen, Lucy may have lied to you, but it was for your own good! This guild is falling apart and is filled with hypocrites! She was trying to save you! Like she did with me! I chose to get out now! The stripper is bad news for you, he was the whole reason this mess got started, because he wouldn't fight Lucy seriously. Even though you were there and he should have fought all out to protecte you, he didn't. No he put his own personal choices before your safety and now, here we are. Join me Juvia. Leave Fairy Tail again and rejoin us! Join Ronin, of your own choice this time!"

I whispered to him, "Gajeel, did you join us?"

"Yeah, the Redfoxes are at your service. Levy is already working to establish a connection with those in Naito and the others that are on their way there. She should be done soon and I'm here to help you out, because Juvia isn't buying it." He said.

"Juvia doesn't care! Her heart yells to her to stay with Gray-sama because he truly does love Juvia! Now move aside or fight with the traitor of Juvia's trust." She yelled as if on cue and I sighed.

"Gajeel, you know about the saber's plan obviously so go and find your dad and make sure everyone is safe. When the connection is established, go to the others and join them. Protect them and take Joi with you. Go now before you get caught up in this, I'll take care of them." I said and Gajeel hesitated before nodding and leaving.

I then sighed again and turned to see Aquarius and the couple fighting already, and I soon joined the fray, none too happy that it was now my turn to fight.

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 **A/N: Gruvia fans, rejoice! My master plan of bringing them back together so they can fight Lucy worked! And no one, hopefully, saw it coming! I hope you guys liked it, and I mean all of you guys who read. We are now down to four chapters so, Remember! READ AND REVIEW, OR FAVORITE OR FOLLOW EVEN IF YOU SO PLEASE! ADIOS!**


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 63: Resistance is Futile

 **A/N: Four. We are down to four total chapters and then I'm done. Except for epilogues but those won't be nearly as frequent. Maybe a weekly thing. So get ready, because here we go, shout out to sashaXmafuyuFOREVER as always for the review. NOW ENJOY!**

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(Lucy POV)

Gajeel ran off to find Levy, most likely, so he can see where everyone is and then find his father again. Meanwhile I turn my attention to the two idiots in front of me who were fighting Aquarius and getting nowhere. I sighed and ran towards them, yelling "Open gates of the Twins and the Bull! Gemini! Taurus!" The two summoned spirits appeared and joined me in the fray, water and ice going back and forth. I ran up and brought out my whip, wrapping it around Gray's ankle as he was about to land an attack on Aquarius and I pulled his feet out from under him.

Then I spun and released some energy into the whip, then brought it down onto Juvia's back. It whipped her and wrapped around her entire body, she yelled out in pain and became water. She re-solidified away from where she was and ran after Gray who had been washed away from Aquarius. I scoffed at them and their feeble attempts at resistance and then, in a very out of character moment yelled at them, "Give up! Resistance is futile here! You are way too out matched here! Just give up before you get hurt, or worse! Give up!" I waited for a response, wondering if they realized just how fucked they actually were.

(POV Change to Gray)

We hear Lucy's advice and I think to myself, 'Damn she is cocky. But maybe she's cocky for a good reason, this is not going well, at all. Just with one spirit against us was tough enough, but three? And she is no slouch herself, that whip of hers has a long reach. And she is physically stronger now too. She might be right, resistance may actually be futile here. But we must try!' I turn to Juvia and ask her, "Juvia, have you ever seen Lucy go all out before?"

"No, Lucy has never had the need to go all out before, but this is her going at about ninety percent. She is focusing her magic on herself instead of keeping the gates open and that can only mean one thing. She is planning on using Urano Metria on us so she can end this quickly. She did not want to come in the first place, she wanted to stay home with her baby. But Natsu said that they needed to all be there and so she relented." Juvia said and the fact that she had a baby with Natsu didn't even surprise me, but the fact that she would resort to Urano Metria so early on did.

"Do we have a chance?" I asked her hesitantly and she sighed.

Her response came soon after, "Against these spirits yes. But! Not against any of her stronger spirits. We had a ranking system among the Ronin for her spirits. These spirits are what you would call tier two spirits, with Aquarius teetering on being in tier one. The other tier two's would be Capricorn, Sagittarius, Pisces, and Scorpio but barely. Tier three would be Virgo, Cancer, Aries, Libra, and her silver keys. Tier one would be Loke/Leo, Aruthur, and the Spirit King. If they come out now, we will loose and she can use up to FIVE of her tier two keys at any time. She can use all three of her tier ones at once as well. UNLESS she plans on using her variation of celestial magic where she borrows a spirit's power like in a unison raid. OR if she is using Urano Metria like she is now. If we can eliminate her spirits before she unleashes Urano Metria then maybe, just maybe, we can delay her launching of the spell and save ourselves. The spell is very powerful and could kill us if we're not careful, and she can't put any restraints on it. It is that powerful."

"Well this is no good. We would have to get a lucky shot on her or have her miss with her attack and have her use up all her magical energy at once." I said.

Juvia shook her head and said, "No, that won't work either. She can use Urano Metria up to four times without resting and while summoning her tier one spirits. We would exhaust ourselves just avoiding one of her attacks with that spell. And she would summon more spirits if we tried to exhaust her magic. Our best shot is a unison raid and it would have to be a direct attack. That is our only hope."

'Fuck. This is gonna be a tough one. A unison raid will work as we both have a deep enough connection. But the problem is getting a clear, direct shot at her. And making sure it lands as well. We will in all likelihood only have one shot at this, and if we miss we're done.' I looked at Juvia and sighed, saying, "That means we will only get one shot at this, if we miss it's over. You know that right? Maybe we should just surrender for now, live to fight another day you know."

"NO! We cannot give in here! Even if we die today at least we would die together! It is better than living with the shame of having surrendered! We are Fairy Tail mages and as such cannot surrender! Fight with Juvia, Gray-sama!" She said defiantly and held out her hand to me.

I looked at it for a second before laughing happily and taking it with a big smile on my face. "Your right! Let's go and give it our all and let the results speak for themselves! Let's go Juvia!" I yelled and we ran towards Lucy hand in hand.

She visibly sighed and said, "Aquarius, crush them please. They're giving me a headache. Taurus help her out, I'll prepare Urano Metria it should be ready in a few minutes." The big bull nodded and charged as Aquarius summoned a massive wave for us, and we kept going. Gemini appeared as well and transformed into Natsu. I sighed, knowing that was to melt my ice and we just kept charging. We reached Gemini first and I immediately yelled, "Ice Make: Diamond Sphere!" Ice surrounded Gemini and trapped him in ice so that he couldn't move, 'Thank Lyon. I remember you using that on Natsu all those years ago, so thanks.' We kept moving as Gemini kept trying to get free from the ice and reached the other two spirits.

Aquarius came at me and I dodged her attacks, her whirlpool of water missing me by mere centimeters. I run at her and yell, "Ice Make Unlimited: One Sided Chaotic Dance!" and a seemingly unlimited number of swords appeared. The swords flew at Aquarius and she simply melts them with her water, which is hotter than my ice. But I had not planned on it working in actuality, but it was a distraction as I got into my demon slayer mode. I charged her and she tried to stop me with her whirlpools but I simply froze them with my magic. Then I reached her and yelled, "Ice Devil's Prison: Ball!" Ice came forth from my hand and froze her solid, freezing her in the shape of a ball.

I looked to see Juvia finishing Taurus off with, yelling, "Wings of Love!" A massive whirlpool of water appeared and swept him away, leaving the path to Lucy open. We see her gathering magic with her eyes closed. Then she heard us yelling and then she opened her eyes.

She sighed at the fact that her spirits lost already and said, "I guess I'll just do this by myself then." She closed her eyes and put her hands up, then her eyes shot open and were strange, golden almost as she yelled, "Survey the Heavens, …"

We realized she was about to cast the spell so we charged her, "Open the Heavens...All the stars, far and wide..." We were still too far away to get the shot we needed so we kept charging, taking each other's hand. "Show me thy appearance...With such shine…" We got closer but I knew we needed to get a little closer still, but we saw her starting to sweat a little bit, "Oh Tetrabiblos... I am the ruler of the stars...Aspect become complete…" We finally got close enough and took our position, facing each other and taking each other's hands, "Open thy malevolent gate. Oh 88 Stars of the heaven…" She almost finished the spell but we stopped her by yelling out as loud as we could, "UNISON RAID!" A torrent of ice and water so large that we almost were caught in it came forth and was aimed at Lucy. Then it started spinning and flew at her, and then hit her. The water and ice had become like a drill and hit her at point black range, causing her to be crushed into the ground.

We waited for the attack to finish, and stood up. We stood shakily as we were now both extremely tired as we had put everything into that one attack and knew it had done it's job. The attack had finally stopped and all that was left was a crater and a badly injured Lucy. "YES! We did it Gray-sama! WE DID IT!" Juvia yelled and I turned to her and nodded happily. I took her hands and looked into her eyes lovingly, then kissed her for a job well done.

Then our moment was ruined as we heard clapping behind us and the person we thought was in the crater say, "Well done! Good job! Good effort! You beat Gemini who is seventy five percent of me! Good job you two!"

"Wh-wha-what? That is impossible! Juvia know that it was…" Juvia started and I looked in the crater to see Lucy was right, Gemini had de-transformed from being Lucy and was now the two small spirits. I looked to where I though Gemini was and saw no one there, and I realized it was a psychic projection.

"How did you do that? We were here the whole time!" I asked Lucy and she laughed at me.

"Well…"

 _FLASHBACK- (LUCY POV)_

 _I see them whispering to each other and sigh, knowing they're mulling my question over at least. Then I realize that they are probably planning to use unison raid on me and I think of a truly genius plan. But then Gemini seemed to read my mind and said, "Let me do it Lucy. My transformation into you is nearly perfect in terms of power and I have your appearance down perfectly! Don't worry about me getting hurt, because so long as it's them I won't die!" I looked at Gemini and thought that it would be easier than a psychic projection of me._

 _Then a psychic projection of Natsu, I could tell it was missing a scar on his chin that he had now and only Natsu would mess up that obviously, appeared and the plan was now complete. So I looked and saw them stil talking and not noticing us and said, "Ok, listen up guys, and listen well…"_

 _END FLASHBACK_

(Still Lucy POV)

I looked at the two dumbfounded idiots and said "Well nice try at least. Now the battle can end. Goodbye." I closed my eyes and threw my hands up and I felt the power of all eighty-eight constellations coursing through me as I yelled, "Survey the Heavens, Open the Heavens...All the stars, far and wide...Show me thy appearance...With such shine. Oh Tetrabiblos... I am the ruler of the stars...Aspect become complete...Open thy malevolent gate. Oh 88 Stars of the heaven... Shine! Urano Metria!"

The spell came forth and crushed the Fullbusters. I waited a moment then turned and left, leaving my opponents to their fate as I heard Levy's voice in my head, "LUCY! Can you hear me?"

"Yup, what's the news Levy?" I asked her.

"All of it good news too. Everyone won. Natsu just finished and is ok. Rai and Gōsuto just got back with the saber twins in tow, and Esoj and Nena are here as well. Everyone else is at Beta base in the remains of Boa, so they are safe as well. That took you a while, are you ok?" As Levy finished her report and I smiled softly at the good news.

"Yeah, just had some fun. I'll be right there and then we can go home… Rai and Gōsuto destroyed the mansion huh?" I asked not really wanting the answer.

"Yup. It's completely trashed. But oh well right?" She said and I nodded to myself as my spirits came up behind me and yelled their goodbyes. I waved to them and they went back home to the spirit world.

"Yeah, we can just rebuild it. Lords know we have rebuilt guild halls before right?" I asked and realized I had just called our home our guild hall. Which it now was I realized and I smiled at that. Freedom was ours.

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 **A/N: No surprise here I think. Just because they trained doesn't mean they are anywhere near her level. They are nowhere near her level, Natsu is the strongest here and Lucy is not far behind. But where does this leave Laxus in our story? Don't worry, you'll see soon enough, tomorrow actually! Three more to go! Remember! READ AND REVIEW, OR FAVORITE OR FOLLOW EVEN IF YOU SO PLEASE! ADIOS!**


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 64: Life Itself is the Most Wonderful Fairy Tale

 **A/N: So I'll just come out and say it, I'm sorry. I wasn't able to get to a computer yesterday and therefore wasn't able to write this chapter. Anyways, time for shout outs: sashaXmafuyuFOREVER as always gets one for her review and today DazzTugz joins her in reviewing and I'm glad to hear from a long term reader of this story. Sadly we are nearing the end so get ready! ENJOY THE FINAL FIGHTING CHAPTER!**

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Start of Battles (Natsu POV)

I land safely on the roof and watch everyone else scurry about. Checking the lacrima, running to a hole, jumping down said hole, and disappearing into their own frying pan. I sighed and rubbed my chin, wondering if I really had to waste my time with this or if I could go home and sleep. 'Or eat. I do wish I had some fire to eat, and I can't eat my own fire, it's not naturally made. Man, I really hate that fact. Oh well, I'm more worried about the three people who I know are up to something. Mern, Karr, and Rogue, those three are either spies or are planning to betray me for the reward. Bastards. Think I didn't know? Of course I knew I could hear your heartbeats and therefore your lies. Especially you Rogue, like Sting would ever just let you leave while giving you his power. Stupid idiots, all of them. Oh well, if I judged this right, we'll get Gajeel and his family to join us, he respects Esoj way too much and Levy and Lucy are best friends. Well, enough thinking, Luce is getting suspicious time to go.'

I walked over to Lucy and squatted down next to her and saw everyone starting their battles. "What do you think Natsu? Clean sweep?" Lucy asked and I nodded.

"But watch Mern and Karr carefully, you already know that Rogue is lying through his teeth. I'm getting a bad feeling from those two, especially Mern. Be careful, he might come and try something after he crushes Cobra. Stay safe and don't worry, Hoshi will be safe. Let me know any updates via telepathy for as long as that works." I said and she looked at me like I was crazy.

"Ok… I think you're overestimating Mern and his brain but ok… and who's the one worrying now?" She asked smugly and we both laughed.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'm off. Keep me updated, bye Luce." I said and kissed her forehead, she smiled at me and I ran off. The came back and checked the lacrima to see where Laxus was. Lucy face palmed but I just ignored her, and saw that Laxus had gone into the basement. 'Eh? He chose the basement floor? Makes sense I guess it's where the bad guy usually hides. But I'm no villain; I would have preferred the big room. Or the front room, so we can fight to our leisure. Oh well here goes nothing!' I reached the hole that leads to the basement and jump down.

I free fall for a bit, the room being so far down compared to the other ones. But when I do land, I see an empty room instead. "Oi, Natsu! I'm over here dumbass." I hear Laxus call and I turn. I see him sitting down on the floor and he doesn't get up. "So glad you could make it, you know I was hoping to see you. Not that I had any doubts it would be you. You wouldn't miss the chance to humiliate me again. You think you're so special. So strong now. So untouchable that you called for this rematch over a year in advance. Tried to make a deal with the council so that you could earn a pardon by winning this. Well guess what? No matter what you do you'll never taste your freedom. This isn't a fairy tale where the main character gets what they want! No this is real life! There are no happy endings here. You already stole mine; succeeding Jiji as master and having him still guide me from behind the scenes. You stole my happy ending a year ago! And now, I'm going to ensure that none of you get a happy ending! I'm going to kill you and be done with you all! NOW DIE!" He yelled and I sighed at him, while he charged.

He came at me using his lightning to make himself super fast, but I still saw him coming. I dodged his fist and countered with a blow to his gut. Then as he stumbled forward, surprised by my counter, I yelled, "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" My fist lit on fire and I punched him right in the back. He went face first into the ground as a small crater formed. I followed it up as I charged him again and yelled, "Fire Dragon's Sword!" A sword of fire appeared and I gripped it tightly. Then as I approached him, as he hadn't moved yet, I knew something was up. And what it was I knew too, so as I reached him I stabbed him in the back and through his chest.

I looked around and called out, "Wow. I know I hurt you Laxus but you should know something. You already stole my first fairy tale ending. You and the members of Fairy Tail ran me out of here. Out of my home without even checking if I did anything. My dream was to live here and be a member of Fairy Tail for as long as I lived. Then I would raise a family here, and live happily. But I was naïve in believing this. Because you see life is like a fairy tale. Not the happy one though. Like the ones that were originally written by the brothers Grimm, or whatever they were called. Those stories never ended happily, most of the time. But this time, mine will. And you won't be stopping me. Now show yourself, the real you. Not a psychic projection of you. The real you."

Then I heard some clapping as he Laxus came forward from the shadows and he said, "Good job Natsu. You figured me out. But that doesn't change anything. I'm still going to kill you. There is no happy ending here. Not today. Never again for you."

I sighed and charged him this time. He was ready and we started trading blows, or would have if he was fast enough. I landed a punch to his that was so fast I created sparks just from the friction my hand made with the air. Then I spun on him and delivered a roundhouse kick to his knee and swept his knees out from under him. Then, before he hit the ground I elbowed him in the gut and he made another crater in the ground.

I loomed over him and said menacingly, "Stop this Laxus. Even if that wasn't your all, that was at least fifty percent for you. That was me at twenty five percent, no power just speed right now. You're no match. Give up and leave. I don't want to kill you, but if you keep this up then you will end up dead." I stood up more and was ready to leave.

But Laxus wasn't, and he came quickly from his spot in the crater and attacked. He landed a punch to my chin, barely grazing it as I tried to dodge. Then he followed it up with a punch to my jaw, this time connecting with it. I stumbled back as Laxus charged and yelled, "Lightning Punch!" His fist became engulfed in lightning and he did an uppercut to my stomach. My feet left the ground and then he yelled, "Lightning Kick!" His foot became engulfed in lightning this time and he kicked me in the back. I crashed into the ground and made a small crater where I landed.

I quickly got up and looked at him, blinking at his attacks. "What was that it? Sorry, I thought a kid was punching me. And here I thought you actually trained." I cracked my neck before I added, "Now watch what happens when you reach your full potential."

I grabbed him while yelling; "Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!" and he went flying. I used my magic to propel myself after him, creating little flames from my feet like jetpacks. I flew after him and caught him before he hit the wall and punched him a few times in the face. Then I threw him and yelled, "Fire Dragon's Machine Gun!" I made my hands into little gun shapes and shot fire at him. Whenever they reached him they exploded and they did so for several minutes. I charged after him again, after he had recovered partially from the last attack and yelled, "Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!" I flew at him even faster as my whole body lit on fire, and when I reached him I head butted him in the gut.

He went even further into the ground than he already was, and if I had to guess he most likely hit bedrock. Then he came flying out of there in his lightning body mode. I sighed at him, hoping that by showing him that he was outmatched he would just give up. 'That would be no fun though. We haven't had a serious battle in years, and you can't count the battle with those demon dragons, that was just me killing them. Hmm, maybe this can still be fun. Not like he stands a chance right now. Wait, I got it!'

I looked at him as he floated down to earth and said, "So you're still awake. Good, if that had finished you off that would have been boring. But you're still no match for me." I grabbed something from my belt put it on my right arm, "So I'm going to help you out. I won't use my right arm from now on. That thing I just put on it is a rune creator, meant for use when training. When used it can trap a body part to your body and you cannot use it unless you deactivate it. So here's my challenge to you. Make me use both arms."

I tapped the rune creator and it came to life, trapping my arm to my body and leaving me down a hand. Laxus was not amused, "Don't mock me! I'm gonna make you use both arms in less than an instant!" He roared and tore his shirt off.

"Whoa there. I don't swing that way, and you're not Gray. Put that shirt back on please." I joked, making him even more mad than before. Then I understood what he was doing as he released more of his magical energy and went into his dragon slayer mode. "That's right. You weren't trained by a dragon but had a lacrima inserted into your body. You have to unleash your dragon slayer magic to use it. You're actually a lightning mage first. Tch, no wonder you were so weak. No matter, you're still no match for me though."

Then I backed up my talk as I charged him, upon him before he could even blink. I lit my fist on fire as I yelled, "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" I punched him in the gut and followed it up with, "Fire Dragon's Claw!" My feet lit on fire and I spun on him, giving him a roundhouse kick to his arm. He went flying but caught himself before he hit a wall. He used his lightning body and came back to where I was and for the first time we actually exchanged blows. I punched him in the gut and he landed one to my open side, the one where my arm was trapped. Then we both punched each other in the face and I was able to land a quick kick to his arm, the right one. It looked as if we were going to have an even exchange for a moment. But before he could jump out of my reach, I landed a kick to his arm again and followed it up by yelling, "Fire Dragon's Raging Palm!" I hit him in the gut with my palm and had a little bit of fire on the palm. When I hit him the fire caused an explosion and he went flying again.

I watched as he caught himself and huffed in frustration, his breathing becoming uneven as he became a little tired. "What's wrong Laxus? I thought you said you could make me use both arms in an instant. Well, as you can see, I'm still only using one. Come on now. Give me your best! Or this will be over quickly." As I finished mocking him he roared and charged again.

This time I decided to show him the gap in our speed, instead of our strength. He threw a flurry of punches at me and I dodged every single one. He would throw one at my head and I simply moved my head. He would throw a hook at me and I simply jumped back a bit. He tried an uppercut and I just leaned back, hands in my pocket like I wasn't fighting. He got frustrated and he threw a punch with even more force behind it and this time I thought it would be fun to show him how futile this attack was. I put my hand up and caught his fist, squeezing it as he tried to keep the punch going. I smirked at him and twisted his arm, causing him to howl in pain and fall to his knees. I let go and yelled, "Fire Dragon's Claw!" and kicked him in the face.

He went flying again and I yawned, bored of how easy this was. "What this it? And you call yourself the master of the strongest guild in all of Fiore. Pfft, pathetic. Come on already! Go all out!" I yelled at him and he got up from where he landed. He was breathing a lot more unevenly than before and I sighed, knowing he was already reaching his limit. "Come on, really? You're running out of gas already? And you call yourself a wizard saint. Where's Jura? Maybe he would be a challenge. Then again he couldn't beat Nena and she wouldn't stand a chance against me. Oh well, I guess there really is no one here that can make me go all out anymore. Maybe no one in the world can." I said and looked at him, becoming disappointed in how this was turning out.

"How hard would you say you're going?" He asked and that surprised me.

"Sixty percent max. Maybe closer to fifty in all reality but I'm not sure it has been a while since I fought all out for a long time." I answered honestly and he nodded.

"This is me at about ninety right now. Key word being: now. You know of second origin correct?" He said and my eyes bulged in response. I nodded and he continued, "You see, I have had my second origin unlocked, but I have not unleashed it. I did not see the need to. Until now." Markings covered his body and I recognized it as the marking of second origin. I saw him smirking and I started smirking as well, excited to see just how much he grew in power.

He charged, and was much faster this time. He landed a punch to my gut before I could stop him and then landed one to my jaw and finished it up by yelling, "Lightning Dragon's Jaw!" He generated lightning in his hands and put them together, then brought them down on me from above. I was crushed into the ground and created a small crater as I did so. I blinked after the dust had settled and groaned for once, actually feeling the force of his blows for once. I laughed in excitement as I got up and looked at him.

"Finally! You finally made me feel some pain! Finally! Now we can actually start fighting!" I yelled and tapped my right arm, deactivating the runes. I released some more magical energy and felt myself nearing seventy five percent of my full strength. Then I really let him know how serious this was getting as I went into my fire lightning dragon mode. "Ready?" I asked and didn't wait for an answer. I charged him and punched him in the gut. Then I kept punching him in the torso and landed every single punch. I was so fast that he could barely even see me and I just kept punching him for a minute. Then I stopped and yelled, "Lightning Flame Dragon's Firing Hammer!" and landed one last blow to his face.

He went flying and I laughed, excited that I could actually go this hard. I watched as he hit the ceiling and then hit the ground. He didn't get up for a minute and I thought that I had gone too far and had knocked him out. But then he eventually got up but did so very slowly. I looked and saw that he was coughing up blood and knew it was almost over. "Really? Was that all you have to offer? I know that was me at eighty percent but come on. Hey you know what let's see just how strong you are now. I'll give you one free shot. Hit me with your best attack and I'll see just how strong you are. Come on hit me!" I said and put my hands out like I was a starfish to emphasize my point.

He looked at me in contempt and walked over to where I was. I made a motion with my hands, saying to come at me and I stood there, waiting for his best shot. Then he put his hands together and yelled, "Dragon Slayer's Secret Art: Roaring Thunder!" He punched me with all of his strength and put almost all of his magic into the attack. I went flying and hit the wall, almost going through it. I groaned and coughed up some blood. But then I shook my head and peeled myself off the wall.

I looked at Laxus and he was done. He was breathing heavily and he looked ready to fall over from exhaustion. I got up and cracked my neck. Then I started stretching before I looked at Laxus. He was in disbelief, shocked that it looked like I hadn't even been hit by his attack. "How… I- I- I put everything into that attack…" He said in utter disbelief.

"I would tell you how I got this strong but it would take too long. Just know those five years away were quite useful. Now, got to sleep, you can't keep this up anymore." I said and sighed, then looked for the exit, exiting my fire lightning mode as I made to leave.

"NO! Wait, I have one more attack left!" Laxus yelled and I looked back at him.

I saw him standing up and I remembered the one attack that could actually defeat me, 'Fairy Law… And he can use it! But if he uses that he'll kill himself! I can't let him use it!' I started running at him, activating both my fire lightning mode and my dragon force as I did. "Laxus don't do it! You'll kill yourself if you do that technique in your current state!"

"Better we both go down than losing to you! Now prepare to die!" He yelled and mustered every bit of magical energy he had left. I charged him at full speed and reached him soon after. He had begun to cast the spell but I was still in time. I yelled, "Crimson Lotus: Exploding Lightning Blade!" and the spell hit him in time. A vortex of fire and lightning hit him and almost immediately he was out cold. He went flying and I grabbed him before he hit the wall and then dropped him to the floor.

I sighed and felt a massive weight come off my shoulders, a burden being taken off that I didn't even know I was carrying. I smiled and walked out of the basement, now a free man in every sense of the term. Except for the literal one but that would come soon, my fairy tale was almost near it's end. And for that, I was glad. 'My story is near it's end. Not my life, just my contributions to society. Hopefully I never need to go all out, ever. Well, except for whenever Hoshi gets a boyfriend but other than that never again. If that happens, then I know the world is safe.' I finally reached the exit and looked back one more time, and smiled softly. My fairy tale ending was now unfolding in front of my eyes.

Then I realized that Lucy never updated me once and I ran outside and to the roof. I saw everyone but her there but they were still celebrating. I saw Levy and asked her, "Why are you here?" She was about to answer but I stopped her, "You know what who cares. Better question: Where's Luc?"

She smiled and said, "Dealing with Juvia and Gray. She just finished; she'll be right back. You can relax now Natsu, you won." I realized how tense I must have looked and sat down, visibly relaxing.

I sat for a few minutes until Lucy got there and then I stood up and ran over to her. I gave her a hug and she returned it. "It's finally over Natsu. We're free again."

"Yes. Yes we are." I said and in that moment felt like I was in a kid's fairy tale, holding my princess after freeing her from the clutches of evil. And in that moment, my fairy tale ending was achieved, once and for all.

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 **A/N: There. The conflicts are over now. No more sad struggles or fighting. The climax has been reached and the battle is over for Natsu and Lucy now. Next comes the resolution and that is gonna be two chapters long. Then it will be over. Wednesday is the day and since I have no school tomorrow it will be done Wednesday, for sure. Well that's all for today, Remember! READ AND REVIEW, OR FAVORITE OR FOLLOW EVEN IF YOU SO PLEASE! ADIOS!**


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 65: I know I've lost

 **A/N: Two. That's all that remains of the main story. Epilogues will happen, but as of Wednesday, you won't be seeing anything from me for at least two weeks. Maybe more, I need to rest. Well, enough of the sadness, onto the shout outs: today we have as always sashaXmafuyuFOREVER, Dazz Tugz again, and Matty G91 and to answer your question you'll see soon enough. Now ENJOY THE SECOND TO LAST MAIN STORY CHAPTER!**

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Half an Hour Later (Natsu POV)

I'm still hugging Lucy when I hear a gasp from someone and I turn to see the members of Fairy Tail that did not partake in the battles standing there. I turn to face them and see the one who was gasping was Mirajane and I ask, "What? You thought we would actually lose? Please."

Then Elfman stepped forward and asked, "No I knew you would win, but tell me: Why did you kill Lisanna?!" His voice did not have his usual tough man bravado and instead sounded desperate to know the truth.

Then surprisingly Mirajane spoke up, her voice still a little shaky from her surprise about something, "I know why." I looked at her confused, wondering if she really did know.

(POV Change to Mirajane)

I paused a moment, wondering, 'Should I really tell them the real truth? Should I justify Natsu and Lucy's actions? Can I really do this to my own sister, throw her under the bus? Because the fact of the matter is that she did do everything they accuse her of and she was also becoming a demon. I knew ever since the beginning, but I thought I could stop it. I failed. What should I do? Live with the secret as my own, or tell my nakama the truth? But if they know the truth, would they still think of Lisanna as a murdered nakama or as a demon that needed to die? I- I-I- can't be certain of their reaction… I know what I must do.'

I looked at Natsu and my stare became a glare, as I leaked out some of my demon aura and said, "He did it because he has no capacity to take any responsibility. He hurt Lucy and lied to her, saying it was Lisanna. He is a murderer and a liar, he killed anyone who drew his ire and somehow, our poor little Lisanna drew his. There is no other rhyme or reason for him to do it. He just did it because he can."

Then I saw Natsu scoff and turn away, before saying, "You all know what the truth actually is. If not, then oh well. Everyone, let's go. We have a guild to found. And a guildhall to rebuild. Ugh, anyone know a good construction company we can call?"

Then a dragon appeared, the dragon being Metalicana I recognized as he had come several times to visit Gajeel. I called out to Levy, asking, "So what? You're just gonna leave? Just like that? Even after calling this place home for so long and calling us your nakama for so long, you're just dumping is like we were trash? Huh? HUH?!" I then realized I was shaking now, my quiet anger at the betrayal that I did not see coming now being visible for all to see.

Levy looked at all of her ex-fellow guild members and sighed sadly before saying, "This place no longer feels like my home anymore. I'm sorry we never told you guys this, but Gajeel and I along with our family stayed with them for over a week before we finally reported in. And we felt like that was our home. It felt right being there, and here… it doesn't anymore. It feels wrong to call this home now. I'm sorry everyone, but the Redfoxes are now Ronin."

She looked ready to cry as she said everything, sad by the fact that she was leaving the place she called home. But she also looked determined. Like she knew this was the right choice. She turned and joined everyone on Metalicana's back, and then they flew off, leaving us all there alone and defeated once again. Then I saw three flying cats following them and that was when I started crying, even the exceeds were leaving us now. Fairy Tail would never be the same.

I felt a strong hand on my back and I turned to see Elfman who said, "Come on. We have to get everyone to an infirmary room. Let's go." I nodded, knowing he was right and began walking down to the entrance, silently crying knowing my home had just been destroyed from the inside out.

Three Hours Later

We finally finished moving everyone who was inside to an infirmary room, but could not find Sting or Rogue. Then we found them tied up already inside the guild with a note saying. "To wherever they go, may they know they got owned. –Ronin" We sighed and called Sabertooth to come and pick them up. Their plan had failed, just like all of our plans had.

I sighed and went to check on everyone and saw Olive arriving from wherever Laxus had told her to stay. I sighed as she ran up to me and I pointed her to Laxus's room. She thanked me and I watched her go off, off to her husband. I watched and saw something I had missed about her before, she was carrying a sleeping Maks and it was then that I realized that maybe not all hope was lost. 'The present make up of the guild is ruined, but its future is still bright. Maks is already born and should be strong, Juvia and Gray will have some babies (THEY WILL BE ADORABLE!) and everyone else will have babies too! And new people will come. The guild is actually more enticing than before, a chance to restore Fairy Tail's glory? Who wouldn't want that? Yes, right now we are in a bad situation, but the future will be just fine!'

I smiled, for the first time in a while, and it was genuine. It wasn't a very big smile but it was a smile of hope. Hope in our future. I straightened myself up, washed my face since I had been crying, and got back to work. Work that will never be done as far as I'm concerned.

One Week Later (POV Change to Laxus)

I wake up and sit up almost immediately. But it was a mistake, as I felt every muscle in my body protest. I lay back down and groan and I hear Olive sigh, "Come on Sparky. You should know the drill, you fight and then sleep for a week and feel like a dragon landed on you. Now stop trying to move and rest."

I looked at her and sighed, "I know. I also know I've lost again. Again. I worked so hard and yet… He beat me again. Am I really that inferior to him? Is the gap really that big…"

I was cut off as Olive slapped me. Then she slapped me again for good measure when I tried to finish my question. I was about to say something else but then she almost slapped me again, so I said quickly, "WAIT! Wait, I just wanted to say your right. I'm being a baby I know. I just wanted to win so badly. I'm the master of Fairy Tail for a reason, I should be able to protect everyone and yet I failed. I understand that no one is going to judge me or think less of me because of it but I do! I feel like I failed Jiji again. Just like all those years ago…"

"No, you have not." Someone said and I looked to see gramps and Mavis there in the room. "You fought admirably and have done your very best. You protected everyone and was willing to sacrifice yourself for the guild. You almost did what every master of Fairy Tail wishes they could do, but hopes that never happens. You were willing to sacrifice yourself and everything you have for those you call your nakama. That is something that is truly admirable. Truly." Gramps looked at me and smiled.

Then I looked at Mavis and she merely nodded with a soft smile on her face before she said, "You have done what many wish to do. And you have done so without needing our guidance as much as I thought you would. You have impressed me greatly seventh master. I am proud to call you the master of Fairy Tail."

I looked at them and saw them both beaming at me, and I finally felt like I had done something right. But there was one question I knew needed to be asked but I dreaded asking, "What happened to Ronin? Were they granted their freedom or…?"

Olive sighed and handed me a paper, it was dated six days ago and I opened it, _"Ronin Victorious! The group known as Ronin had successfully defeated the guild coalition in their rematch and has down so with a clean sweep. But not before having been betrayed by rogue mages Mern Greer and Karr Strauss, whose whereabouts are unknown. But they assure us as does the council that they are looking for them. But now back to Ronin, they have successfully earned the approval of the council and are now considered a legal guild. The agreement put forth by the council was signed early this morning by the newly minted Ronin guild master, Natsu Dragneel and his advisor Esoj Anoren. The two shook hands with each council member and then took several pictures with each one individually (On page 22) before leaving. They are now home at their guild in Naito and are currently renovating the guildhall, it should be done within the next week. As for Fairy Tail and the others in the guild coalition, we have two mages who will now be retiring: Gildarts Clive (Age) and Jura Neekis the leader of the coalition (Injuries: Back and Age). The others including guild masters Laxus Dreyar of Fairy Tail and Sting Eucliffe of Sabertooth have yet to wake up but are expected to pull through and make full recoveries. In other mage news…_

I sighed and put the paper down and said in a low whisper, "Damn you Natsu. You did get your fairy tale ending. Oh well." Then in a louder voice said, "Olive, find Freed and Bickslow for me. They should be back from the mission to protect the council that I sent them on along with Evergreen, I want to give them new orders." She nodded and poked her head outside and the two men I wanted came right in.

"Good you were waiting, here's the new game plan. Tell everyone who sends us requests that we are open for business again. Freed I want you to go to the master's meeting for me, it's in three days and I will in no shape or form be capable of travel by then. Bickslow, I want you to go to Era and report to the council that we are open for business again. After that, I want you to go to Naito and, yes I'm being serious here, and take Ronin a congratulatory gift on becoming a guild. We may hate them but we must seem like gracious losers at least. We will have to work with them eventually anyways so might as well do this now and pretend like there are no hard feelings. Understood?" They both nodded, smiles on their faces due to my maturity in this situation, "Good. Now go. Oh and Freed, please send Erza to check on Wendy and Doranbolt. I'm pretty sure she hasn't heard what happened."

Freed was about to leave when I gave him his last order and nodded over his shoulder. I sighed and looked at gramps, who simply said, "Well done Laxus. You must show everyone how to move on first then everyone else can as well."

I nodded and looked at my hands for some odd reason. Then I looked at gramps and Mavis and said, "You know, I thought I would be madder about losing. But yet, I can't seem to feel the rage that I should feel. No instead I just, I don't know, don't feel anything about my lost. Like…"

"Like while you lost you still won on a subconscious level?" Mavis asked and I nodded.

"Yeah, that's it. Hmmm, maybe because I did. I think I grew up that day. I think I really did. I lost that anger that was inside of me. I think it was replaced by, well, your spirits. The spirit of kinship and the spirit of nakama. I may have been desperate to try and use fairy law in that situation, but now I think I know why I didn't care if I died. If it was to protect my nakama, then it was worth it." I said and everyone in the room beamed at me. Even little Maks did, though I assume t had something to do with the smell that was coming from his direction that almost had me vomiting from one whiff. "UGH! Olive change his diaper."

"You do it." She said back curtly.

"How the fuck am I supposed to do it if I can't even move right now?!" I yelled/asked her, our moment now ruined.

"I don't give a fuck how, just do it!" She yelled back at me and we started yelling at each other, but did so with smiles on our faces, knowing that whatever the outcome, today was a win.

(POV Change to Gray)

I watch as Freed and Bickslow run off, smiles on their faces and I sigh, "Don't they even realize we lost?"

"Yes, but they do not hate those we fought like we do. Juvia will never forgive Lucy for what she did." Juvia said and I nodded. I turned to my wife and looked at her. Seeing an angel I thought I must be the luckiest man alive and that I was lucky that she was mine forever.

I sighed again and took her by the arm and said, "Come on. We just got released from here so let's go home. We have a year of… um well you know to make up so let's get busy."

She blushed and looked like she a blue tomato, her hair now normal again. I laughed and led us out of the guild and back to our home, happy that she was safe again. But also thinking about Natsu and Lucy, 'If we ever meet again, I will kill you. Don't know how I will, but I will. You nearly ruined my life and I will never forgive you Natsu, and especially you Lucy. From now on, the Fullbusters and the Dragneels are mortal enemies.'

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 **A/N: Fin. Well at least for Fairy Tail… although there might be a lemon upcoming for a certain couple… Guess if you want. I hope it's pretty obvious. Now I'm not saying there is going to be one but there might be, there will be maybe, one at the start of next chapter. MAYBE. Probably. SO, the next chapter will be the last one and I hope you guys enjoyed this one. And I hope no one cries or anything that this is ending because as it is said, "All Good Things Must End. As Must All Mediocre Things Too. And All The Bad Things… You know what everything ends eventually so yeah. Everything ends." Well after making fun of a very good quote, Remember! READ AND REVIEW, OR FAVORITE OR FOLLOW EVEN IF YOU SO PLEASE! ADIOS!**


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 66: Correlation Does Not Imply Causation

 **A/N: The end is here. We have reached the end of the main story. I don't even know what to say. I'll just give a shout out to my usual and constant reviewers in sashaXmafuyuFOREVER and brucie86. ENJOY THE FINALE. WARNING LEMON IS AT THE START! SKIP TO ******END******** If you do not wish to see it.**

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At the Fullbuster House (Gray POV)

We walk into our house and look around. I see the ice sculpture there and then see our room, the door open. I look in the kitchen and can already picture how our lives would go: Juvia would get up early like always. I would linger in bed and then smell breakfast. I would get up and go to the table joined, eventually not right away (hopefully), by our kids. The picture of our lives, our lives together forever, brings a smile to my face and a tear to my eye. I did not think that I would get this, not until a week ago. Not until I found my Juvia, my angel again.

The tear dropped down my face and Juvia, who was leaning lovingly into my body with our arms intertwined, asked, "Are you alright Gray-sama?"

"Yeah. Just thinking about how lucky I am for having found you again. I was worried I would never see you again." I said and she wiped away the tear with a kiss.

"It's like we vowed at our wedding Gray-sama. Juvia would wait for you forever, as would Gray-sama for Juvia. And we did just that." She said and kissed me on the lips, and I swore the earth crashed around us for a second.

She pulled away and looked at me, smiling softly and I saw what an angel's eyes must have looked like. They contained love and compassion, kindness and selflessness, they were caring and had every possible emotion related to love possible. They made my heart melt and I returned her kiss. But this time much more passionately. She moaned at the sudden kiss and she opened her mouth. Her tongue slipped between my lips and our tongues danced, a dance they had not done in over a year. We both moaned and broke apart for air, both a bit unused to kissing and holding our breaths like we were before. But then I looked into her eyes again and saw the love in them.

I forgot about my lack of oxygen and kissed her again, this time my tongue entered her mouth and I picked her up. She wrapped her legs around my waist and I walked over to a wall. I pinned her against it and started trailing kisses down her neck, sucking every now and then so it would make a hickey. Then I started getting lower down her neck to where her chest was and she said in between moans, "Gray-sama, bedroom." I nodded and kissed her again.

I walked us over to the bedroom and entered the room. I kicked the door closed behind us and then carefully deposited her on the bed. I went to take off my shirt but realized it was gone already, 'Well, my stripping habit is back. Oh well, it has its uses.' Juvia was taking off her shirt and as soon as she did I began kissing her again. I rolled us over so she was on top, or maybe she did I wasn't sure. I'm too busy making out to really care, and then she started trailing kisses down my neck. I moaned as her lips were angel soft and she started making her way down my body.

She reached my torso and noticed a new scar that I had, she looked at me as I f asking how. I mouthed later and she nodded, and then proceeded to kiss the length of my scar. Then she made her down to my pants and gave them a tug. She then realized I still had my belt on and made quick of them, throwing them to where her shirt was. Then she helped as I shimmied out of my pants and was left in my boxers. She saw the rough outline of my cock and saw it was hard. She giggled and mumbled something about it being as big as she remembered and gave it a kiss. The feeling of her soft lips on it made moan out louder than before in pure ecstasy, and she did it again. Then she grabbed it and I swore I saw stars, feeling something I had not felt in a long while.

Then when she was done teasing me she pulled off my boxers. She threw into the ever-growing pile of clothes and then took my entire cock in her mouth. She did it for a split second before releasing it and taking a deep breath, then only took about half in. I moaned and grinned at her attempt to take it in all at once, then kept moaning as she got a consistent pace going. She found a perfect pace, a little fast but not too fast to where all the pleasure is gone too quickly. After a few more moments I got close to cumming and said in between moans, "Juvia stop. I don't want to come just yet. At least, not in your mouth."

She nodded and took my cock out of her mouth and crawled up my body. When she reached my head, she kissed me and it was a long and sweet kiss. Gentle and tender instead of quick, rough, and lustful like it usually was. This kiss was us showing how much we loved each other, and if that was the case then I could have died right then and there. My life was complete as I was with the woman that had stolen my heart and I couldn't be happier. But I could finish what we had started.

I flipped our positions and broke the kiss. Then I positioned myself and looked at her. She groaned as I teased her by rubbing the head of my cock on her vagina and said, "Gray-sama… Please!" I smirked at her but complied, pushing all the way in. It was tight and I moaned and groaned at her tightness, and she moaned at the feeling of my cock inside of her. I pulled back a bit until only the head was still inside then slammed back in. She moaned and I groaned at how tight she was, but kept going building up a steady pace. Then she started meeting me halfway, bucking her hips into my thrusts and soon enough we were both close. I felt her tightening even more and I felt myself close as well. We both yelled loudly and came one after the other, me first and after a couple of more thrusts Juvia came as well.

We both were panting and breathing hard, and I slumped down on top of her. I kissed her forehead and said, "You are simply perfect. Everything about you is. I'm so happy we're back together." She smiled as I looked at her and kissed me on the cheek. Then I realized how tired I was now and asked, "Wanna just sleep and figure what we need to get tomorrow?"

She smiled and said, "Yes. Juvia is very tired now." I smiled at her and rolled off of her, and then spooned her. She grabbed the covers and threw them over us and soon enough, we were both asleep. Smiling as we did as we were sleeping in each other's arms, doing so for the first time in a long time. And in that moment, nothing else mattered, not even my undying hatred of anything remotely related to anything Dragneel. For the moment. 'Fuck! I didn't wear a condom! If she gets pregnant… Eh I'll be happy. Especially if it's a boy! That way he kick whoever that bastard Natsu and his whore wife Lucy have as a child's ass.'

Back to the Day After the Battles-Era (Natsu POV)

I shake hands with different councilmen, as does Esoj and take a picture with each one. Each one looks at me with a forced smile and I smile genuinely at them. 'Hahahaha, loser. Their plan failed and now they're stuck doing this. I love this! I want to see each and every one of their faces as I look at them and shake their hands. I want to see how much they hate me and how they can do nothing about it… Man, I really should go to therapy. A lot of pent up anger.'

Then it was the chairman's turn and he looked at me, eyes full of contempt and hatred. But his words said the opposite as his machine for speaking said, "Natsu, my old friend! Congratulations! I knew you would win. Come, let us take a picture!" I nodded with a genuine smile on my face and our hands still in the handshake. But then I heard his voice inside my head, via telepathy obviously, and he said, 'Know this Dragneel. We made a promise and we kept it. But that doesn't mean we won't be watching you like hawks. One mess up that warrants it, and we'll brand you as a dark guild with the highest termination priority. And I promise you, you will die this time. Now go home and leave us in peace.'

I chuckled softly and told him, 'Oh I knew you were going to be like this. Trust me I knew. Just remember who will be saving the world when your other guilds fail.'

I smiled and walked away, Esoj right behind me as we walked away from the press. "Get everyone ready to rebuild as quickly as possible. And tell people we are open for business. And that we are accepting new members and welcome anyone as long as they wish to use their magic for good. Oh and is the photographer in Naito yet?"

We reached Metalicana who was waiting for us with Gajeel as Esoj said, "Yes he arrived this morning. Should I put a distance limit on how far we ask for requests or does that not matter to you?"

I shrugged as we boarded and said, "Nope. It's up to you. Just remember as of now we have only nine mages. So we can't be taking too many jobs. Gajeel, how is the rebuilding going? Any progress?"

He nodded as we took off and Esoj looked like me in a train, "Yeah, I'd say next week at the latest we should be able to move in. Oi, dad! Hurry up and get home I'm starving here!"

"Yeah same here Metalicana! Haven't eaten since breakfast! And that was three hours ago!" I said and Esoj puked at the mention of food.

"Wait, you ate breakfast? When? We all got up at the same time." Gajeel asked and I cursed my slip up.

"Umm, well they had some at the signing and photo thing…" I said and saw Gajeel's face contort.

"THEY WHAT?! YOU MOTHER FUCKER I WAS FUCKING HUNGRY TOO! YOU SAID THEY WOULDN'T HAVE ANY FOOD! YOU BASTARD!" He yelled and looked like he wanted to kill me, again.

"Hey that's what they told me! They said to eat beforehand because there was not going to be any food, most likely!" I said defensively.

Gajeel sighed and said, "You're lucky we're in the air or I'd kick your ass back to Naito."

"HA! Like you could even touch me. I could kick your ass with no hands!" I said mockingly.

"You wanna go Salamander?" He asked and put his head to mine.

I pushed back and said, "Yeah, yeah I do!"

That was when Metalicana spoke up and said, "We're back. We have been for a bit now. Get off my back now so I can go and sleep. Oh and you're wives heard everything. Good luck."

He flew off as we got off and we saw our wives. They did not look too happy as Esoj was snickering at us until Nena smacked him in the head. "You're late." They said in unison and I knew we were in trouble.

"The photographer is waiting, let's go." Lucy said impatiently and we both nodded and walked over to everyone else quickly.

The photographer looked at us and smiled and said, "Ok, everyone get with their respective pair and look at the camera. The cats and the dragons too! Natsu and Lucy you stand in the middle! Redfoxes next to them on the right and the Anorens on the left! Ummm, right shadow dude and wife next to the Redfoxes and light couple next to the Anorens. The older couple next to the shadow couple and the dragons can be next to the light couple. The cats in front!" We all followed his orders and soon enough were in position. "Ok! On three say Ronin! ONE! TWO! THREE!"

"RONIN!" We all said and he started taking so many pictures from so many angles I thought my jaw was going to come off. But soon enough it was over and he handed us a photo that was ready. It was perfect and I showed everyone the picture. We all had matching guild marks on various places and we all looked genuinely happy. We all smiled and pointed out each other's mishaps, but felt like a family when doing so. And that was when I think we all felt it. We all felt freedom and like we were free. 'Free at last and it feels so good. Who would have thought that this would happen, there is no correlation here. We have two soldiers, two ex dark mages, and four legit guild mages, one of whom was a dark mage at one point. But it's as they say, correlation does not imply nor mean causation. We may not seem likely to start a guild together and become a family, but yet here we are.'

"Hey Natsu, come on! Dinner is ready! Well, at least the first dinner for you!" Lucy said breaking me out of my reverie, and I smiled and joined my happy family. I picked up Hoshi from where she was with Virgo and started chatting with each of my family members, my new nakama. And I finally felt free and easy, like I was when I was with Fairy Tail before. 'But I have a new home. And I couldn't be happier! I may never forgive them but I could care less right now.'

"I'm home."

Many Years Later (3rd Person POV)

"Grandpa!" A little girl with blonde hair yelled and ran up to an older man, her grandfather. The man scooped her up in a hug and swung her around. The girl giggled and asked him, "Grandpa! Can you tell me a story? Maybe from when you were younger and awesome!"

"Oi! I'm still awesome! Just not young. But alright, let me tell you the story of a man called Natsu Dragneel, and his escapades as a member of Ronin." The man said and the girl looked at him and pouted.

"But you always tell me about him. I don't even know why you like him so much." The girl said.

"How could you not? He was perhaps the most amazing man I ever knew. He was strong and powerful and never lost as a member of Ronin. Plus he had pink hair! How cool is that!" The old man said and the girl's face lit up.

"PINK?! I LOVE PINK! Ok Grandpa you can tell me more about him! Hey wait a minute… Isn't your hair…" The girl started and the old man stopped her.

The old man looked at her and said, "Let me tell you about him, then I'll answer your question. Now let me begin when…"

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **A/N: Sniff. It's over. The main story is over. My baby is now all grown up and ready to move on. BUT not before some epilogues. This is a sad moment for me, I worked so hard on this story but now that it's done, it's sad. I had fun doing this but I know that it's not over yet. I still have epilogues and who knows, maybe a sequel to write. Don't worry, it will be shorter than this one if I do write one. If I do it will not be a topic addressed in the epilogues, so stayed tuned please! Remember! READ AND REVIEW, OR FAVORITE OR FOLLOW EVEN IF YOU SO PLEASE! ADIOS! FIN!**


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